SWEATING HORSES. 313 



pose of having the bigger boys to work at 

 the horses in scraping, wiping, and finishing 

 them after their sweats; and such an arrange- 

 ment is proper enough, provided all the horses 

 are kind in their tempers. But should there be, 

 among a number of horses that may have sweated, 

 one or two having a propensity to vice, the small 

 boys ought never in such a case to be allowed 

 to take charge of the heads of such horses at the 

 time of their being scraped, as accidents might 

 probably occur, not to the horses, but to the 

 boys, in consequence of their not having suffi- 

 cient strength to keep the reins of the bridles 

 wide apart and firmly strained, which is at all 

 times absolutely necessary, but more particularly 

 so in the present case, to prevent these horses 

 from forcing themselves on too near to the boys, 

 when, if they have become irritated from scrap- 

 ing, they will watch for their opportunity to 

 seize them. Accidents of this sort will occasion- 

 ally occur from the mismanagement of the groom, 

 either in not giving proper orders on such occa- 

 sions, or by putting boys of insufficient strength 

 to hold the heads of such horses as are disposed 

 to vice. By way of example, I will here mention 

 an instance that occurred when I was an exercise 

 boy : — I had been riding my horse, which was 



