202 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



it skilfully back so as to leave the Lair perfectly smooth. This 

 entire process will require but a few minutes labor from an 

 active groom, provided the horse was properly cleaned the night 

 before. 



To dry off and dress a horse dripping with sweat, after violent 

 exercise, is a much more laborious as well as important task. 

 In the first place, such a horse should be immediately scraped 

 with a piece of band iron, or a strip of hard wood brought to an 

 edge. A convenient size for a scraper or sweat-knife is fifteen 

 inches long by two inches wide and half an inch thick on the 

 back. By this instrument a considerable amount of perspira- 

 tion may be speedily removed, especially from the belly, to 

 which it flows from other parts of the body. In mild, pleasant 

 weather, the horse should be cooled down, and his circulation 

 equalized, by leading him about, and then a blanket should be 

 thrown over his body while his head and ears are rubbed dry ; 

 nest, his legs should be wisped, wiped, and rubbed until clean, 

 dry and warm ; and finally, the blanket may be turned back, 

 and the forward portion of the body dressed, and then, the 

 blanket being replaced over the fore quarter, the remainder 

 may be cleaned. Now remove the wet blanket, smooth the 

 whole horse, and put on a dry cover, sufficiently thick to pre- 

 vent him from becoming chilled. In a very hot day the first 

 blanket may not be necessary, if the operation be expeditiously 

 performed, but in cold weather the horse should be covered as 

 soon as he arrives at the stable, and while walking about, and 

 every precaution must be adopted to prevent a sudden chill. 

 If it be very cold or stormy, so as to prevent the walking exer- 

 cise, the horse must be covered very thoroughly and dried by 

 hand as rapidly as possible. This is a tedious operation, but 

 absolutely necessary, if the horse be a valuable one, and you 

 would not have him stiffened. 



Cold water should never be applied to any part of the body 

 of a hot and exhausted horse, but warm water may be used to 

 wash the legs, provided they be rubbed dry immediately. 



It is an excellent practice to rub the legs of fast-trotting 

 horses by passing the hands lightly up and down the limb so as 

 to produce a gentle friction and increase the circulation, but if 

 too much pressure be applied, the tendons will become sore, 

 especially in cold weather. Hand rubbing of the legs is parti- 



