118 THE HORSE 



the assistance of elbow-grease. TVhen the mane 

 and tail have been combed and brushed, and the 

 hoofs picked out, the toilet of the horse may be 

 considered to be completed. If the owner has 

 doubt as to the eifiGiency of his groom's work, he 

 can get a fair idea of how the horse is cleaned by 

 partmg the hair of the tail. Much gray dust or 

 grease at the roots of the haks is a sure sign that 

 this part receives but little attention from the 

 brush, and it is then fairly certain that the body 

 of the horse is in the same condition. One should 

 always be able to run one's hand over the body of 

 a well-cleaned, healthy horse ^vithout getting an 

 appreciable amount of grease thereon, and the 

 presence of much grease suggests either that the 

 grooming or the exercise, or both, are neglected. 

 These remarks apply, of course, to horses wliich 

 are constantly stabled. Horses at grass are always 

 greasy. 



It is customary, as a rule, to feed horses three 

 times a day. The midday feed, like the morning 

 one, is usually chaff or hay and oats, and the same 

 ration is supplemented in the evening by a rackiul 

 of hay. 



It is usual in most stables to allow the horses to 

 stand on straw all day. It undoubtedly looks 



