THE horse-keeper's GUIDE. 289 



most laborious part of the dressing is concluJetl. The 

 Morse's clothes are now put on ; his mane, foretop, and 

 tail, combed aud brushed so as to haug etjually and grace- 

 **ully ; the eyes, nostrils, muzzle, anus, and sheath, are 

 cjLrefuUy wiped with a damp clean sponge ; and the teet 

 picked out, and, if necessary, washed. Should the legs he 

 soiled, or wet with urine, wash them with warm water and 

 soap, and rub them till perfectly dry. When the legs do 

 not require washing, they should be well brushed, and pol- 

 ished partly by the wisp, but chiefly by the hands : the 

 bed being then looked to, the horse is done up foi the 

 morning. 



When the weather is fine, and not too cold, it will be 

 preferable to perform the operation of dressing out of 

 doors. But wherever done, it should be done properly. 

 Idle and careless grooms rarely take the necessary trouble ; 

 hence they should be looked after, and made to do th.it 

 which a sense of duty ought to be enough to prompt. It 

 is not enough that the surface of the horsj be cleaned ; the 

 wisp is all very well, but the brush is essential ; the skin 

 may look cleau and glossy ; but if the brush has not been 

 used as it ought to have been, the neglect may be easily 

 detected if the fingers of the hand be rubbed over and iu- 

 *;o the horse's skin ; if insufficiently performed, a white 

 greasy staia will be communicated, which will never be 

 the case if the horse has been well and thoroughly dressed. 



When the horse is about chanaring: his coat, either the 

 trush or the currycomb should be very lightly used ; at 

 this time, a damp wisp will be sufficient for all essential 

 •Purposes, until the new coat has grown sufficiently. 



The ears and legs require most looking to ; they should 

 oe often inspected, and the groom's attention directed par- 

 ticularly to them. Where the horse's legs have but little 

 hair on them, they require a good deal of hand-rubbing ; 

 and on no account should the legs, particularly when of a 

 'vhite hue, be suffered to become discoloured by dung or 

 urine being allowed to dry on them. 



Viciousness in horses should be controlled, if it cannot 



be wholly prevented ; or a groom may suffer severely from 



a bite or a kick, that may injure him for life. Biting may 



ne prevented by putting on a muzzle ; or by tying his head 



up so elevated as to check this propensity. Kicking horses 



are most dangerous : they require great care on the pari 

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