OUTLINE OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE HORSE. 39 



THE HAIR. 



In some parts of the horse's body — especially at the ueck, 

 where the mane appears, and from the dock, whence depends 

 the tail — grows a peculiarly coarse, strong, stiff hair. This is 

 the horse-hair of upholsters and house-keepers, and is never 

 shed. If it is plucked out or rubbed off, it grows out again, 

 although slowly. 



But what chiefly interests us in this connection is the 

 general coat of hair, which Nature has not only bestowed 

 upon the horse as clothing, but has so arranged that it adapts 

 itself to the extremes of heat and cold of the varying sea- 

 sons. In the spring the old coat of thick, coarse hair comes 

 off, and discovers a new one, about half an inch in length, 

 readj^to supply its place. This coat is finer and much thinner 

 than that which has just been shed, and is admirably adapted 

 to the change in temperature. When the horse is in health, 

 it has a smooth, glossy appearance, and is soft and downy to 

 the touch. As the season again changes and the cold in-^- 

 creases, a new suit of hair begins to show itself, much thicker 

 and coarser. This is in addition to the finer summer coat, 

 and together they form a dense covering of hair, capable of 

 shielding the animal from great degrees of cold. 



"We are satisfied that the horse does not shed his spring 

 coat upon the approach of winter, as many have stated. If 

 any one will take the trouble to examine closely, he will find 

 two kinds of hair in the winter coat. There are good reasons 

 for believing that the summer hair takes a second growth as 

 cold weather draws near. In fact the horse always has two 

 kinds of hair. Even in summer there is intermingled with 

 the longer, coarser kind, a shorter hair of almost silken soft- 

 ness. Of the former the horse is relieved in the fall. The 

 latter, which remains until the next spring, takes another 

 growth, and forms the coarse hair of winter, while the fine 

 hair of that season is of a new and much thicker growth. 

 In the spring the whole of the old growth is shed, and with 

 it a portion of the new, since otherwise there would be much 



