168 ON CLOTHING, ETC. 



This is a stout and weighty muzzle, but it is a use- 

 ful one to keep in the home stables. A muzzle on this 

 principal may be made lighter, for the purpose of being 

 taken with a horse when he is travelling, and if it were 

 lined throughout with tin, (and the sheet iron omiitted,) 

 and holes punched in the tin, it might serve as a set- 

 ting muzzle; in which case there would be no occasion 

 to take more than the one muzzle, unless with a very 

 troublesome and vicious horse. 



This muzzle should be put on all race-horses at the 

 time of their being dressed. One principal use of it, is 

 to prevent any horse which may be so inclined, from 

 biting the boy when cleaning him. But unless the 

 the groom orders it to be done, boys who look after 

 quiet horses, merely chain up their heads, and are apt 

 to neglect putting on the dressing muzzle. This neg- 

 lect should never be countenanced ; for a dressing 

 muzzle is veiy useful for all horses, either quiet or 

 otherwise, as thorough-bred horses are more or less in- 

 clined, when being dressed, to gnaw and bite at the 

 cribbing board. When they come in from morning or 

 evening exercise, most of them have to stand for some 

 time after being dressed, before they are fed, and when- 

 ever they have to stand in this way, they should stand 

 with their heads up and with their muzzles on, those 

 excepted which are very delicate. 



Thorough-bred horses, when standing without any 

 thing before them to eat, are very apt to lick the stall 

 and manger rails. If they get much into the habit of 

 doing the latter, some of them become crib-biters; now, 



