360 Care oj the Colt in Trainirig 



brushed out, the care of the legs is really of more 

 importance. They are subject to severe strain and 

 concussion, and if they are to be kept sound, they 

 must be thoroughly cleaned and well rubbed so as 

 to encourage the circulation and keep the parts 

 warm and dry. The legs are the most exposed to 

 water, mud and ice in winter, often remaining soaked 

 the entire day, and to the ever-present dust of sum- 

 mer, and it is little wonder that they become un- 

 sound and often useless. To make them last as long 

 as possible, they should be thoroughly cleaned and 

 well rubbed each evening after the day's work is 

 done, so that they will have the night in which to 

 recuperate. Nothing contributes more toward pro- 

 ducing diseased and unsound limbs than allowing 

 the animal to remain all night with damp legs covered 

 with mud, especially in damp or cold stables. The 

 practice of not cleaning the legs and feet until 

 morning should be severely condemned, for it is prac- 

 tically useless to cleanse them at six-thirty, when at 

 seven they will be as muddy as ever. 



If the animal is working in the mud, it is desirable 

 that the hair be clipped from the legs as far up as 

 the knees and hocks, as by so doing the animal's 

 limbs may be kept clean with much less difficulty. 

 In case the legs are clipped, it is all the more impor- 

 tant that they should be thoroughly cleaned and 

 rubbed each evening after work. 



In grooming, a very good order to pursue is as 



