85 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 



down with cold water in the winter months, and the 

 blood is carried back to the heart slightly chilled. This 

 causes " the shivers " in a horse. No matter how dirty 

 a horse is it is not always wise to wash it. It should 

 just have the dirt rubbed off with an old brush 

 or wisp of hay, then the legs soon become dry and the 

 animal is warm and comfortable. Of course it makes 

 a difference where there is a groom kept specially to 

 look after the horses, so that when they come in they can be 

 washed down and made dry and comfortable. I am 

 referring here more particularly to those who are in the 

 habit of bringing the horses in the stable on a cold 

 winter night and just washing the legs down, never 

 thinking or troubling about drying them after. Many 

 horses are ruined in this way, and those which are not 

 usually get mud fever. I have seen horses with lumps 

 on their body the size of a small nut, which have 

 been caused simply through the animals being wet and 

 getting a sudden chill. A difficulty may crop up here in 

 some people's minds as to what should be done when 

 a horse comes into the stable on a very wet night in the 

 Autumn or Winter. In this case the animal should be 

 scraped down with what is called a scraper, which can 

 be obtained at the saddler's. Those who do not possess one 

 can make a small iron hoop off a cask answer the purpose. 

 The water should be all scraped off the horse clean, and 

 the animal well rubbed down with a wash leather. Some 

 people may not have a wash leather at hand, but some nice 

 dry pieces of straw will answer the same purpose. If the 



