326 GROOMING. 



the right on the back of the leg. On the off-side, the position 

 of the hands is of course reversed. The pressure exerted 

 by the hands should be firm, but by no means irritating. 

 The skin at the back of the pasterns should be well rubbed, 

 so as to render it as dry and pliable as possible. 



Hand-rubbing the legs is a beneficial practice with the 

 generality of stabled horses. It prevents stagnation of blood 

 in the legs and feet ; by the pressure exerted, it promotes the 

 absorption of any effusions that may be present about the 

 back tendons and suspensory ligaments ; and it helps to 

 guard the skin against "cracked heels" and "mud fever." 

 Although this ordinary hand-rubbing is sufficient for groom- 

 ing purposes, it is not nearly so effective in cases of sprain as 

 the method of hand-rubbing from the fetlock upwards, while 

 the limb is held up off the ground. That variety of mas- 

 sage, which I have described in Veterinary Notes for Horse- 

 OwnerSy is not of such easy application as the more common 

 form of hand-rubbing. 



Hand-rubbing the body helps to keep the coat short, 

 which desirable effect is increased by damping the palms of 

 the hands with water. If this be done when hand-rubbing 

 the legs, or if the legs be wet when hand-rubbed, their appear- 

 ance, in the case of well-bred horses, is apt to be spoiled by 

 patches of hair being removed, owing to the moisture loosen- 

 ing the hair. Hence the hair and hands should be kept dry 

 when the legs are hand-rubbed, unless we want to diminish 

 the amount of hair. 



GROOMING TOOLS AND THEIR USES. 

 The "tools " generally used in grooming (Fig. 55) are : 



BODY-BRUSH. WATER-BRUSH. MANE-COMB. BURNISHER. 

 DANDY-BRUSH. CURRY-COMB. HOOF-PICKER. SCRAPERS. 



To these we must add rubbers, wash leathers, sponges and 

 soap. A hoof-brush would make the list complete. 



