HAND-RUBBING. 77 



If he kicks badly, his hind legs may be confined by 

 a short hobble, called by syces mujuma, placed on 

 his hind pasterns. The use of heel ropes is apt to 

 strain him. 



When the horse returns from exercise in clothing,, 

 he should be tied up, his hood removed, and his neck 

 and throat scraped, if there be any sweat visible. 



The space between his jaws should be carefully dried 

 with a dry cotton rubber, while a man on each side, with 

 a fresh straw or hemp wisp, should go thoroughly over the 

 exposed parts, working the wisp backwards and for- 

 wards well into his coat. The breast and body pieces are 

 successively removed, and his chest, fore-arms, shoulders, 

 back, loins, belly, quarters, thighs, &c., quickly rubbed 

 down and dried in a similar manner. This done, the 

 syces should set to and hand-rub him, beginning 

 at his ears and ending at his hocks. The ears should 

 be pulled gently between the fingers several times: a 

 process that always seems to refresh the animal. When 

 hand-rubbing, the stroke should be commenced by 

 bringing the flat of the hand, each one to be used 

 alternately, well under the belly, down the fore-hand, 

 thigh or gaskin, or between the fore-legs, as the case 

 may be, and it should then be drawn up with a steady 

 pressure. As the hand is raised, the elbow should be 

 turned out, and the under part of the bared forearm 

 should be brought into play against the grain of the coat. 

 In doing this, the weight of the body and the strength 

 of the arm should be utilised. 



With a valuable horse, one should put two men on 

 the legs, and two on the rest of the body. The quicker 



