254 PEECEPT AND PRACTICE. 



the coat shorter, we must again go over it ; then it 

 would be proper to give the horse a sweat if con- 

 venience can be found for doing so. By sweating I 

 do not mean the partial sweating he sometimes gets 

 in ordinary work, but sweating till he will scrape. 

 The reason why I do not recommend such a sweat on 

 a first singeing is, that with the portion of coat still 

 left on him we might find the drying him thoroughly 

 a long process, during which he very probably might 

 take a severe cold ; nothing so effectually cleanses the 

 pores of the skin as a sweat and scraping : the soap 

 and water, particularly with soda in it, perfectly 

 cleanses the hair, but it does not do so as regards the 

 skin. The repetition of the operation must of course 

 depend on the state of the coat ; for some very thin- 

 coated horses once singeing may do, but not if they 

 have either a long or thick one. 



Clipping used to leave all bays, browns, chesnuts, 

 and blacks, more or less of a very light mouse colour ; 

 singeing does not. We know that the coat of such 

 horses is light-coloured as we approach the skin ; so 

 clipping naturally brought us to such hue. Now 



