r 



Washing Horses after Hunting. 191 



SKirx and hair. A good scraping follows imme- 

 diately, and all Lands " fall to" in order to dry 

 the animal at once. 



Experience in these matters points out that a 

 modification of the Roman bath and washing 

 house would be highly useful. It is not ab- 

 solutely necessary that a horse should be again 

 placed in a state of perspiration after the day's 

 hunt. The washing may be used, but with the 

 addition that the house in which the operation 

 is Conducted should be raised to a temperature 

 of 100 or thereabouts, in order to assist in 

 drying the animal's coat, which accomplished, 

 part of the clothes are put on, and the horse is re- 

 moved to his stall, when the remainder are placed. 

 By these means, the operation is more quickly 

 effected, there is less wear of the system than 

 by the sweating of the bath, and animals are 

 not so liable to take cold as the coat is rapidly 

 dried. 



The danger which is believed to occur when 

 horses are washed after hunting and other hard 

 work is not so great as some suppose. When 

 all necessary precautions are taken, it may be 

 almost said to be absent. All that which 

 is to be feared results from after-treatment. 

 Grooms sometimes ignorantly pursue a system 

 with a small stud, few appliances, and deficient 

 help, as if all these were absolutely present, and 

 from such a want of forethought the greatest 

 inconvenience arises. 



