A DAY'S WORK IN THE STABLE 25 



alwavs be thoroughly brushed ; leather-lined ones 

 must be sponged and soaped to keep them soft and 

 pliable. The stirrup leather sponged and soaped 

 (soft-soap) for the same reason, the stirrups put in 

 water and thoroughly scoured with silver-sand and 

 soft-soap When clean they should be dried on 

 a leather and rubber and burnished like silver. The 

 bridle and reins should be sponged and soaped, and 

 the bits served like the stirrups if they are steel, or 

 cleaned with whitening if plated. So much for the 

 care of the leather and steel ; now for the proper 

 adjustment of them. 



Approach your horse on the near side with a kindly 

 and clearly-spoken word or two ; remove the rug as 

 before described and put on the saddle, well forward, 

 so that it fits properly on the withers ; the girths 

 should already be attached on the off side. See that 

 they are not split or likely to split, and buckle them 

 smoothly and firmly on the near side. See that there 

 is no space between them and that the horse's skin 

 is not wrinkled. 



Remove the headstall, having the bridle already 

 in your left hand, and bring your horse round in the 

 stall, then put on the bridle. Be careful to have the 

 cheek-straps just the right length, and the throat- 

 strap slack and not so tight as it is used in harness 

 work ; but you must regulate that according to your 

 horse. Irisri horses have a very curious way of 

 folding down their ears, and if they are a little 

 touchy in temper they will fold their ears and know- 

 ingly toss their heads, and if the throat-strap is too 

 slack off comes the bridle. Twice I have experienced 

 this. In one case the mare was a hired one, and she 

 evidently had tried it on before. After the first mile 

 she did this, and was evidently thinking of a quick 

 return to her stables ; but for once she reckoned 

 without her host, for as she tossed her head back the 



