102 TREATMENT OF HORSES 



become too much soiled, and too thin to be put 

 under the exercise clothes for the horses to go 

 out in. The latter consist of the best sort of 

 check clothes, under which are placed (sufficient 

 in quantity) the most warm blanket-like sort of 

 sheets (see the different descriptions of clothing, 

 and their use, in Volume the 1st, Chapter the 9th). 



When the horses are stripped in the morning 

 of their standing clothes, they are thrown over 

 the tops of the racks, until the horses are dressed, 

 when the standing or exercise clothing is put on ; 

 but which of the two will depend on the appear- 

 ance of the day. Let us, by way of example, 

 suppose that it rains when the stables are first 

 opened; the groom, being anxious not to miss 

 a day of going out with his horses, regulates 

 the duties of the stable as 1 have already noticed ; 

 and while the boys are dressing the horses, he 

 goes out into the yard to see if there is any like- 

 lihood] of the morning clearing up ; if not, he 

 returns to the stables, and when the horses are 

 dressed, he orders the boys to re-clothe them in 

 their standing clothes ; all the other before-men- 

 tioned duties being performed, a handful of hay 

 may be given the horses, for them to pick at 

 or amuse themselves with. The groom locking 



