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CHAPTER VII. 

 Grooming and Stable Routine. 



ON THE THEORY OF GROOMING WASHING THE HORSE CLIPPING- 

 GROOMING DRESSING THE MANE AND TAIL TAPEEING MOULT- 

 ING OF THE COAT CARE OF THE FEET AND LEGS TRIMMING 

 THE MANE AND TAIL BOTS STABLE ROUTINE. 



% 



On the Theory of Grooming. The skin of the horse 

 is composed of two layers. The inner layer, or true skin, 

 is tough and elastic, and is provided with nerves and 

 blood vessels. In it exist a vast number of narrow, mi- 

 nute depressions hair follicles which secrete the hair 

 that covers the body. Alongside each hair, where it 

 pierces the skin, a small tube opens, which gives exit to 

 an oily fluid, whose office is to keep the hair and skin 

 soft and pliable. Where there is considerable motion of 

 the skin, as at the back of the pasterns, these oil tubes 

 exist independently of the presence of hair at the part. 

 There are also a great number of other tubes which 

 proceed from the glands that secrete the perspiration, 

 and convey it to the skin which they pierce. The sweat 

 of the horse is composed of a mixture of these two 

 secretions, the former giving it a greasy character when 

 he is fat, the preponderance of the latter, a watery 

 appearance, when he is in poor condition, or when 

 " drawn fine." 



The inner layer secretes the outer skin in the form of 

 scales, more or less according to their distance from the 



