THE HORSE 1^5 



blanket to save the better clay-cloth from the mev- 

 itable soiling when the horse lies down. 



In some stables it is the practice to keep the 

 horses clothed practically all the year round in one 

 kersey cloth, and to load them with two or three 

 when clipped. The horse's hair is, no doubt, made 

 finer and shorter by this treatment ; but it must 

 also be weakening to an animal to be so loaded 

 with hot blankets, and the liability to chills at all 

 times of the year is, of course, intensified. The 

 fewer blankets the better in every stable, espe- 

 cially for horses such as hunters, whose work en- 

 tails a lot of standing about in every class of 

 weather. 



Clipping should not be commenced before the 

 end of the first week in October, and may need to 

 be done once again before Christmas. IS'o horse 

 should be clipped after Christmas, or it will be very 

 late in getting its summer coat. If the removal 

 of the hair is left until the coat is " set," which 

 will be early in November, the operation will only 

 need to be performed once. 



Bedding 

 The clioice of bedding lies between the various 

 straws and sawdust. Some few people favor 



