STABLE NECESSARIES 119 



About a couple of hours will be sufficient for 

 exercise. When the horses are brought in they 

 should be stripped and thoroughly dressed. The 

 body brush should be first used and care should 

 be taken that the curry comb is used frequently 

 to rid it of the scurf which will cling to it from 

 the horse's body. Once again I must insist that 

 the curry comb is never to be used on the horse. 

 The groom however should take care to fre- 

 quently knock out the scurf from the curry 

 comb, either on the floor or against the stall 

 pillars. If he knocks it out always at the same 

 place, the scurf and dust, which are very undesir- 

 able in a stable, are easier removed. When the 

 brush is done with the horse should be well 

 wisped with a damp hay wisp, care being taken 

 that the wisp is not too wet. This should be 

 followed with a dry rubber. The groom should 

 put some weight into his work when wisping and 

 rubbing down. When a horse has been up on 

 hard meat for some time there should not be a 

 speck of dust or scurf on him after he has been 

 thoroughly dressed. Some grooms will tell you 

 that there will always be a speck or two, but 

 they know better, and they only say it to hide 

 their own shortcomings. I knew a gentleman 

 who always drew a white silk pocket handker- 

 chief over his horse before he mounted him and 

 if the handkerchief was in the least soiled he read 

 the '' Riot Act '' in no uncertain way. Needless 

 to say his handkerchief very seldom was soiled. 

 A few minutes' good hand-rubbing is very good 



