THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 63 



I am quite aware that some horses have a scurfy skin 

 and require a great deal more cleaning than others, but 

 even in such cases as these it would be better to use 

 a curry comb much less than many people do, as it only 

 irritates the skin of the animal. When a horse has a great 

 deal of scurf it should have a mixture given it, made up 

 of about a pint of stewed linseed, a little bran and chaff, 

 with two table spoonfuls of common sulphur. If this 

 is given the animal twice or three times a week it will 

 prove a great help to it. Of course when a horse has this 

 mixture given to him he must not be allowed to 

 stand about and get cold, as sulphur opens the pores of 

 the skin ; if this is seen to it will be alright. In the 

 Spring nothing will cool the horse's blood so much 

 as nettle tea. This is easily made by pouring 

 a gallon of boiling water on a good double handful of 

 nettles. This is not only very cooling to the blood, but 

 puts a nice gloss on the animal's coat. Some horses will 

 object to drink this, but when they get accustomed to it 

 they like it very much. If a horse is in very low condition 

 it should have a tonic, especially when it is changing its 

 coat. 



Horses are sometimes allowed to run down in con- 

 dition when a little medicine or tonic would put them 

 alright, and bring them into splendid condition. Of 

 course horses living in the country that go out to grass do 

 not require anything of this, but those which cannot get 

 such a luxury sometimes require a little pulling together. 

 There are many different opinions as to whether horses 



