Horses and Horsemastership, 121 



If you are keen on looking smart you can spend a 

 quarter of an hour or so burnishing; if not, smear the 

 steels over lightly with vaseline. 



In wet weather it's waste of time and energy to 

 burnish, and the most exacting officer would hardly find 

 fault with you for parading with your " steels in oil," 

 but dirt or rust is unpardonable. 



As to the saddlery : I have already stated that the 

 saddle should be allowed to remain on the horse's back 

 until he has quite cooled, but on its being removed the 

 leather padding should be sponged over, so as to remove 

 the sweat and dandruff. The saddle should then be 

 placed on end to dry and air, and the numnah, or 

 blanket, should be exposed for the same purpose, and 

 when dry thoroughly brushed. 



Meantime sponge over such parts of the "' harness" as 

 may have come in contact with the horse's body or be 

 splashed with mud. The sponge should not be used too 

 wet. Having removed all dirt, squeeze the sponge as 

 dry as possible, and soap it well with some good, plain 

 yellow or ordinary saddle soap, which should be well 

 rubbed into the leather. The effect is to keep it pliable 

 and soft, for once leather is permitted to get dry and 

 hard it perishes and cracks, and becomes unreliable. 



The billets, or bit pieces of the reins, and the stirrup 

 leathers should receive particular attention. 



