86 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 



been working hard all day with his hands, the sinews 

 of the wrist are swollen and sore the next morning, and 

 when he goes to work again they hurt him so much 

 he has to bandage them. So it is with the horse 

 when it has been working very hard ; the next morning 

 there will often be noticed a puffiness about the 

 legs. Now if the latter were washed down and well 

 soaked with water, and at the same time some flannel 

 bandages were put on carefully, it would prove of great 

 benefit to the legs, in fact, it is only those who have 

 tried these bandages who really know the value of 

 them. 



A gentleman who has a splendid hunter, which can 

 run and jump well, will take care to have it bandaged 

 directly it comes in from a journey. When I am driving 

 on a long journey I always take bandages with me, and 

 if the horse is going to stand in the stable more than 

 an hour I have them put on his legs. To test the value 

 of them a person should bandage one fore-leg of his 

 horse and one hind-leg, leaving the other two just as 

 they are. If the horse is in frequent work the difference 

 will soon be noticed, those which are not bandaged will 

 become very puffy and look altogether different from the 

 other two. I have tried the experiment myself, and if 

 any of my readers do the same I feel certain they will 

 never allow their horses to stand in the stable after they 

 have been hard at work without bandaging the legs. 

 The legs of a horse at twelve or fifteen years old are 

 as clean and as nice as a young colt four years old if 



