Horses and Horsemastership. ^°7 



thoroughly with the rubber. A little oil applied to the 

 hoofs adds greatly to a horse's appearance, and the mane 

 and tail are improved by being brushed over with a 

 damp brush as a finishing touch. 



There is one point I wish to lay some stress upon, 

 because Yeomanry are inclined to be too casual about it, 

 and that is the appearance of the horse lines. I like to 

 see uniformity in all things connected with soldiering, 

 for there is nothing which "' gives the show away" and 

 creates a bad impression so readily as slovenliness. In 

 fine weather the horse rugs, either when removed for 

 the purpose of the morning grooming or any other pur- 

 pose, should always be laid out flat on the ground, with 

 the inside exposed to the air. I consider they are best 

 placed between the horse lines (i.e., behind the horses), 

 the fronts of the rugs facing inwards ; they should be a 

 sufficient distance from the horses to avoid the risk of 

 their being trampled upon either by the men in the 

 course of their grooming operations or by the horses 

 themselves. They should be dressed by the right, and 

 each man should place the feed bag on the ground in 

 front of the rug, so that when the men detailed to draw 

 the forage for each troop come along they can collect the 

 bags without any trouble. 



In showery or wet weather the rugs should be folded 

 down the centre (inside in), and then in three, beginning 

 at the front, and should be placed in the tents. 



