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a leg till he has devoted at least ten minutes to its 

 service. 



I never fully appreciated the importance of 

 hand-rubbing to the legs, till I happened one day 

 to be conversing with a man who had been sent 

 out to India, in charge of some valuable horses. 

 I asked him how he contrived to give them exer- 

 cise on board, or what substitute he found for it 

 He informed me that he had a helper for every 

 three horses. The animals were partially suspendec , 

 in slings all the voyage, so as to remove as mud 

 weight as possible from the limbs; and in this I 

 position, it was the principal duty of the helpers td 

 rub down the legs of each horse with the hand, fo:i 

 two hours every day. He added that the elfeci 

 of this treatment was such, that they arrived witl ! 

 legs as clean as if they had enjoyed daily exercise! 

 and were fit for work within ten days of thai' 

 arrival. A good hand-rubber cannot be essentiall; 

 a bad groom. 



Whenever it is necessary to wash a horse's legs 

 it is best to do it in the morning. Most groom: 

 act on a different principle, and wash them th 

 moment they come in. I am satisfied that this is 

 bad practice. When the roads are very dirty, an* 

 the weather very wet, the legs being thorough! 

 soaked already, a washing can do no more harm 



