io3 Horses and Horsemastership. 



I have often been asked my opinion as to the ad- 

 visability of keeping the rugs on in wet weather. I 

 consider that so long as the rain has not succeeded in 

 soaking through the rug it is much better left on. I 

 observed in the continuous wet weather of the training 

 season of 1903 that a day and night of heavy raiii was 

 successfully resisted by most of the rugs in use, and that 

 though outwardly they presented the appearance of being 

 soaked through, the side near the horse was quite dry, 

 and the animal felt comfortable and warm enough. T 

 am of opinion that so long as the horse's body feels warm 

 the rugs are best kept on, but if on passing the hand 

 between the rug and the body the horse is found to be 

 cold, take it off at once, and in the absence of a dry rug 

 ^ive him some exercise to re-establish the normal warmth, 

 and let him stand without the rug until you can get it 

 dried. If a second and dry rug can be obtained as soon 

 as you have got the horse warm put it on beneath the 

 wet one. Always remember that whenever 3'ou find 

 your horse cold hand-rubbing of the extremities and 

 pulling the ears should be resorted to at once. 



2. FORAGE. 



The quality of the forage is a matter of the utmost 

 importance. Half the ills horseflesh is heir to may be 

 traced to bad food, and it is therefore necessary to know 

 how to tell good corn and hay, (ire, from bad. 



