GROOMING 295 



spent in cleaning and rubbing the legs at night is 

 more efficient in promoting sound, strong legs than a 

 half-hour's time spent on them in the morning. It 

 all comes to this, horses are usually kept at work so 

 late in the day that time is not allowed for properly 

 cleaning and caring for them after their day's work 

 is done. That which should be done promptly at night 

 is put off until the morning, when the desire is to get 

 to work early; thus cutting short the time which 

 should be given to caring for the legs, and finally 

 they are not cared for at all. For what is the use in 

 cleaning them at six -thirty, when at seven they will 

 be as muddy as ever? When the weather is warm, the 

 legs should be washed and afterwards rubbed dry. 

 Nothing contributes more toward producing diseased 

 limbs than allowing the horse to remain all night 

 with damp legs covered with mud, especially in damp 

 or cold stables. Depletion of flesh produced by neglect 

 can easily be remedied, but injury to the legs from 

 the same cause is often irreparable. Wherever wheat 

 or rye straw is used for bedding, the very best possible 

 material will be at hand for cleaning and invigorating 

 the legs. A willing groom with a wisp of clean straw 

 in each hand are all the appliances necessary for put- 

 ting the legs in splendid condition. The old fash- 

 ioned iron currycomb is not well adapted to cleaning 

 the horse's body much less to cleaning his legs. 



Horses sleep but little from three to four hours 

 out of the twenty -four; hence the more need of 

 making them comfortable at night. Narrow stalls, 

 insufficient bedding and stiffened joints on rising, all 



