328 GROOMING. 



fibres, which appear to be a kind of grass, stand wear badly, 

 and become soo-n spoiled by the action of water. 



After a brush has been washed or used in a wet state, it 

 should be put to dry with the hairs down, so that the 

 water may not rot the wood or the roots of the hairs. 



The hairs of a body-brush (Figs. 55 and 56) should be strong 

 bristles, which are well suited to clean the coat without irri- 

 tating the skin, and are made of equal length. The shorter 

 the bristles are, the stiffer will they be, the better will they 

 clean the coat, and the more liable will they be to irritate the 

 skin. Hence we may conclude that horses with delicate skins 

 would require brushes with longer bristles than animals with 

 thick skins, supposing that the bristles were of the same kind. 

 These bristles are usually about fy in. long, but one inch 

 would be better for fine skinned horses, for which animals 

 brushes that have been in use for a few months might be 

 reserved ; because the bristles get softer in wear, chiefly on 

 account of absorbing oil from the skin. I think it is better to 

 increase the softness of a brush by adding to the length of the 

 bristles, than by using finer bristles. 



The brush should be used only in the direction in which 

 the hair lies, and not against it ; because, when it follows the 

 grain, it will more effectually remove the dandruff, which is 

 thrown off by the skin in the form of scales that are pierced 

 by the hairs. The groom should place the brush lightly on 

 the coat, so as to avoid irritating the skin, and should then 

 press on it. He should stand a little away from the horse, so 

 that, while he is making his stroke on the coat with the 

 brush, he may be able to utilise the weight of his body in 

 rendering the pressure effective. After every three or four 

 strokes with the body-brush, he should rub it backwards and 

 forwards once or twice on the curry-comb, so as to clean the 

 brush, and from time to time he should tap the side of the 

 curry-comb on some convenient spot on the ground. In this 



