ii6 THE COMPLETE HORSEMAN 



Major A. T. Fisher in his able book Through 

 the Stable and Saddle Room gives stable hours 

 as follows — 



6 a.m. to 7 a.m 

 II a.m. to I p.m. 

 5.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. 



These hours are ver^^ convenient but many 

 grooms like to start an hour earlier, especially in 

 summer. I do not know that it makes so much 

 matter so long as regularity is insisted on. 



On coming into a stable the first thing to do 

 is to give the horses water and a little hay. Then 

 remove the soiled litter and put the bedding out 

 into the open air to dry, or if it be raining, into 

 some shed provided for the purpose or an empty 

 stable. Every corner and cranny of the floor, be 

 it stall or loose box, should be thoroughl}' swept 

 out, the clothing and bandages should be removed 

 and hung out to air, and the horse should then 

 be thoroughly cleaned, and — an item which is 

 frequently omitted — the head stall should be taken 

 off and cleaned. Then fresh clothing should be 

 put on, for it need scarcely be insisted that both 

 day and night clothing are necessary if you 

 w^ould preserve your horses in perfect health. 

 The last thing is to give the horses their corn. 

 This will have kept the groom busy for an hour or 

 perhaps a few minutes over. 



After breakfast the first thing to do is to 

 saddle and bridle the horses for exercise. Major 

 Fisher suggests that where possible the horses 



