THE WIOT PACK. 281 



(180. — To pack a liorse well yon must pack liim quickly, so 

 that yon will be the better to have two or three reliable assistants, 

 and every article you will want should be at hand before you 

 begin. You will want five large blankets, or large woollen horse 

 cloths ; oue jnece of woollen or cotton cloth 10 feet long by 2^ 

 feet wide ; four small packing needles, and a good supply of sail 

 twine, in long lengths for the needles ; a small tub of scalding 

 water, and a small towel. 



687. — One of the blankets should be six inches shorter and 

 narrower than the other four. Take this smallest blanket and 

 put it soaking in the tub of hot water, which should be about IGO*^. 

 Whilst your assistants see that every part of the blanket is equally 

 wetted, and the four needles threaded with long soft twine, you 

 should take the towel dipped in the hot water, and cooling it just 

 enough to prevent scalding the horse, rub it along each side of the 

 spine from mane to tail, well wetting the hair for about two feet 

 on each side of the backbone, but without using water enough for 

 any to run down his sides. Whilst you are doing this quickly, 

 so as to give no time for cooling, two of your assistants should 

 take the blanket out of the hot water and slightly ring it, and, 

 v/hilst just as hot as the hand will bear it, let a man at each 

 corner bring it over the horse's back, and clap it on him, with 

 the longest Avay across him. See that the blanket reaches equally 

 low on each side, and from the root of the tail to as far as it will 

 go on the neck. 



G88, — The horse must be kept from lying down until the 

 packing is comi^leted. This may be done by tying his head high 

 up, or if jou can spare a hand to hold him, and to prevent his 

 lying down by obstructing his nostrils with the wetted towel if 

 he threatens to do so. 



689. — Quickly cover up the wet blanket with the four larger dry 

 ones. I f the dry blankets are not lai-ger than the outside edges of the 

 wet one, they must beputalittle out of the centre, so that two of them 

 will overlap the wet blanket all round, as it is necessary that the 

 dry blankets should come at least three inches beyond the wet 

 one at every point. Now throw the 10 by 2^ woollen 

 or cotton cloth across the back, over all the blankets, and draw it 



