44 IN THE STABLE AND AT WORK. 



After brushing, take a cloth and go over him from head to 

 heel, pick out his feet with an article like this, 

 called a foot hook (one side is a hook about an 

 inch and a half long, the other chisel-shaped), 

 and he is ready to go to his stall. Horse's feet 

 should be examined every day. The second 

 illustration is called a scraper, for taking off sweat 



or mud. It is made of hard wood 



about a foot long, one inch wide, 



sharp edges and slightly bent near 



the end. An old piece of grass matting is a good thing to 



take mud off the legs with. 



To dispose of your horse's foretop, if heavy, try parting 

 in the middle before putting on the bridle. 



Fetlocks may catch and hold mud and ice and be harder 

 to clean than clipped ankles, but certainly they keep off 

 wind and prevent direct contact of ice with the skin ; there- 

 fore, don't bare the ankles. If frozen in tags they may be 

 cleaned and dried quickly by dipping in hot water and 

 sawing with an old sack. It is easier and more speedy than 

 rubbing. The heat produced will leave the fetlocks dr}'. 



The old feed bag, too full of holes to be worth mending, 

 is good for nothing, eh ? Saw the wet and muddy legs of 

 the tired horse with it, and see how dry and clean they will 

 become. The labor isn't great, but the results are. 



No brush will take the dust out of a horse's coat and 

 make it glisten like a stiff broom in the hands of a strong, 

 energetic man. Its handle must be cut off to two feet. It 

 seems to afford sufficient leverage so considerable power 

 may be brought to bear on the coat. 



During the shedding season, use only an old and dull 

 currycomb. A sharp one will inflict pain, a thing the 

 humane person will avoid. 



