62 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 



dust out quicker." When a horse comes in all covered with 

 perspiration this would answer, as naturally the dust works 

 out of the skin on to the surface of the hair, and the curry 

 comb takes it off quicker, but when the horse is cool, and 

 has no harness marks upon him with the dust, it is not 

 well to use a curry comb, at least that has been my 

 experience. 



The more the horse is curry-combed, the more scurf 

 is produced on the surface of the skin, so that excessive 

 curry-combing means an excessive amount of scurf, 

 especially in some animals which seem to have a tendency 

 in that direction. If instead of using a curry comb, a 

 dandy brush, or better still, a body brush is used, it will be 

 found much better, especially if the horse has been working, 

 and there is a lot of surplus dust on the skin. Some people 

 use nothing but a wisp of hay or damp straw. The man 

 who attends to farmers' horses will not wear out as many 

 brushes and curry combs on ten animals as a gentleman's 

 groom will on one, because the farmer's man uses a damp 

 wisp of hay, or straw, and the curry comb but very little. 



I have tried both methods myself, and find a good 

 hard rub with a wisp of hay, or straw, damped a little, 

 cleans the horse's coat far better, and leaves a better gloss 

 on it than anything else can do. A body brush should 

 be used more than a dandy brush. I think most of my 

 readers will know what I mean by a body brush. It is a 

 flat brush, with a strap across the back to slide the hand 

 in. It is soft, and does not work the skin so much to 

 irritate it, but thoroughly cleanses it from the surface dust. 



