240 ON DRESSING RACE-HORSES. 



wisp of gardener's matting or hay, and then he uses 

 his brush in the same manner. This being done, he 

 sponges his horse's mouth, nostrils, and eyes, with a 

 damp sponge ; and then, with a hnen rubber he wipes 

 his horse's head and every part of his forequarters 

 perfectly clean ; combs out his mane and fore-top, and 

 giving his ears a few strokes with his hands, he turns 

 him round in the stall, puts on his collar and dressing 

 muzzle, and chains up the horse's head to the cribbing 

 board. The boy, after kicking a sufficient portion of 

 the litter well back, takes his rubber, spreads it on the 

 litter close to his horse's feet, puts into the rubber the 

 dirt which he picks out, and which he afterwards 

 throws into the middle of the stable. He then washes 

 his horse's feet clean, and after having given his legs a 

 few strokes down with some soft straw, he takes off 

 the saddle, and puts it in its place ; he then strips his 

 horse, throws the clothes into the manger, or puts 

 them on the top of the rack, and begins (on the off 

 side) to dress his horse's body, first, by wisping him 

 well over, twice on each side. In the same manner he 

 brushes him over on each side, then wisps him 

 again once on each side, wipes him over with 

 the rubber, and finishes on the near side ; he then 

 clothes him up, observing to place the wrong side of 

 of the pad-cloth up, with a view to keep it clean, as it 

 is sometimes wanted at the time of saddling when the 

 horse is going to run. The horse's hood and woollen 

 rubber are thrown over his loins, as from ranging 

 about in the stall while being dressed, he gets a little 



