288 SWEATING CRAVING HORSES. 



to turn the front and back parts of the clothing- 

 over the horses' saddles. The boys now, with 

 as little delay as possible, commence very quiet- 

 ly and steadily to scrape the necks and fore 

 and hind quarters of the horses. (For a de- 

 scription of the wooden instruments used on 

 these occasions, see Vol. I. p. 194). As soon 

 as the horses are sufficiently scraped in those 

 parts, which may be known from the sweat no 

 longer passing on before the scrapers, they are 

 to be wisped with soft dry straw ; as the wisps 

 get damp, they are, of course, to be changed. 

 While the bigger boys, at the hind quarters 

 of the horses, should take an opportunity, as 

 directed by the groom, to wipe with their rub- 

 bers, as gently as possible, up between the inside 

 and back part of the horses' thighs; and they 

 should endeavour, also, by degrees, to do the 

 same to their sheaths and testicles before the 

 perspiration has dried on the surface of those 

 parts. This I am aware, with some horses, is, 

 at times, rather difficult, but much may be done, 

 even with those that are refractory, by gentle 

 usage and patient perseverance; by such means 

 I have often succeeded. The fore and hind 

 quarters of the horses being thus far forwarded. 



