CHAPTER VI. 

 CLIPPING AND SINGEING. 



Reasons why horses should be clipped— How, when, and where 

 they should be clipped— Clipping not always to be followed 

 by singeing. 



' I 'HERE are various opinions expressed on clipping 

 -^ horses. Some people say it is not natural to take 

 off the horse's coat. This may be true there are many 

 things not natural, but still beneficial. This is my idea 

 with regard to clipping horses. I have tried the experiment 

 in many ways, both with those which run, and cart and 

 waggon or draught horses. As a rule I find animals 

 which are clipped do their work with much more ease than 

 those which have their long coat on. Of course many 

 thorough-bred horses have an exceedingly fine coat, are 

 well groomed, and always rugged up in the stable. 



In such cases they may do without the clipping, but I 

 am speaking now of the general run of horses. Those 

 which have to work and sometimes run twenty miles right 

 off with a long coat on often become very faint and 

 tired, especially if the roads are heavy. When the animals 

 get in this state the long hair is so wet that it will take 

 from three to six hours to dry after it gets in the stable 



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