GJiOOMING A H0K8E OX RACE DAY. 157 



ing Up heat in 2 :20 or better is often given. When 

 the horse goes out for the first heat of the race get 

 your body wash read\-. A common wash is com- 

 posed of equal parts of alcohol, witchhazel and 

 rain water. 



When the horse comes in after his first heat he 

 will be more or less distressed, often more so than 

 after any other heat, especially if he has not been 

 properly trained and prepared for the race. To 

 properly attend to a horse between heats there 

 should be at least two attendants — some drivers 

 use as many as four. 



Be as quiet as possible. Get horse stripped of 

 harness, boots, etc., as quickly as possible. Give 

 him a few swallows of water, sponge and scrape 

 him as explained after the first warming up mile. 



You are now ready for your body wash (the 

 best is the cheapest). A quart properly used 

 should do for three heats. It should be at blood 

 heat. Rub in a little on the shoulders ; forearms, 

 inside and out ; knees : back ; loins and muscles, in- 

 side and out, arid below the hock, giving good 

 hand rubbing or massage. Do not see how much 

 body wash you can put on the horse. Take plenty 

 of time rubbing it in and do not scrape it right off. 

 After you have given the muscles say ten minutes 

 rubbing, just scrape it out real light under the 

 belly mostly where it is liable to drip. So many 

 times you will see a groom on each side of a horse 

 each with a bottle of body- wash wasting more 



