DURING THE WINTER MONTHS. 103 



up the stable, goes into liis house to breakfast, 

 and the boys into the hall to take theirs. The 

 former, still being desirous to get the horses 

 out, again goes out as before into the yard, to 

 make his observations on the weather, which 

 if not cleared up by eleven o'clock, he or- 

 ders the horses' water to be got ready. The 

 head lad, with the boys, arrange this matter ; 

 but the former must take care to see that the 

 water as ordered for each horse is sufficient in 

 quantity, as also that the chill is sufficiently 

 taken off. The horses having all had their water, 

 are again stripped and well dressed. As the 

 stalls of race horses are roomy, and as the horses 

 in dressing range about a great deal in them, 

 they do, by those exertions, give to themselves 

 a certain degree of exercise, which not only 

 excites some warmth in them, but moderately 

 circulates the blood and fluids of their bodies. 



The horses being dressed, they are re-clothed in 

 their standing clothes, and the hoods and rubbers 

 are thrown over their quarters. Their legs are 

 now to be well rubbed for at least twenty minutes, 

 as they have most likely to stop in for the day. 

 Friction to their legs for this period is highly 

 essential; indeed, it may be considered as a 



