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CHAPTER III. 



Daily Routine. 



DURING the training months, the syces should be up 

 nearly an hour before day -light, and should give each of 

 the horses a little water, say half a gallon, and from 

 one, to one and-a-half pounds of corn, which quantity 

 may be increased to two pounds, if the animals are to 

 be kept out longer than three hours. When this is eaten, 

 the clothing worn at night should be taken off, the 

 horses' coats should be wisped over, and smoothened down 

 with a towel, their manes and tails set straight, their 

 eyes, muzzles, and docks sponged out, and fresh clothing 

 put on according to the weather. They are now taken 

 to the exercising ground and are kept walking for fully 

 an hour, so that they may empty themselves, and then 

 they get their work, fast or slow, as the case may be. 



When a horse has finished his exercise, he is trotted to 

 the rubbing-down shed, or to the lee of any favourable 

 cover. The girths should now be slackened, and if he be 

 worked in clothing, his hood should be quickly removed, 

 and if there be any sweat visible on his neck, it should 

 be scraped off with the copper scrapers that are made 

 for that purpose. Above all things, the hollow between 

 his jaws should be carefully dried with a towel, for 

 neglect of this precaution has often been the cause of 

 subsequent cough, or sore-throat. His bridle should 



