244 ON DRESSING RACE-HORSES. 



after them ; but this is not, by any means, a common 

 occurrence. To prevent this, the boy must be careful 

 at all times to secure his horse's head before he attempts 

 to do anything to him ; for example, when the horse 

 comes in from exercise, and has been turned round in 

 his stall for the purpose of having his head dressed 

 and his hood and bridle taken off, the boy, being on 

 his guard, begins by sponging his horse's mouth and 

 nostrils, and having wiped them dry with a linen 

 rubber, he puts on the horse's dressing muzzle, and 

 it may also be necessary to buckle his head up with 

 the pillar-reins (but this is not very commonly re- 

 quired,) before he ventures to dress his head and fore- 

 quarters. Having properly finished both the latter, he 

 turns the horse back in the stall, removes the muzzle 

 for a moment to put on the collar, when the former 

 is replacedj and the horse's head is again chained 

 up to the cribbing-board. His feet and legs being 

 done, his quarters are next to be cleaned ; and the 

 way this should be done is very similar to that in 

 which such a horse is generally scraped and rubbed 

 after sweating. The clothes and saddle are not im- 

 mediately to be taken off his body ; the former 

 should be turned back over the latter. The boy is 

 then quietly to set about dressing his horse's quarters, 

 first by working with his wisp. If the horse will 

 not; allow him to use it about his sheath, between or 

 inside his thighs, the boy should not be suffered 

 to persevere with it here. He should be directed 

 to lay hold of the horse's hock or tail, and by degrees 



