330 GROOMING. 



Some grooms in their excessive desire to accumulate a 

 large quantity of dandruff for the sake of " eye-wash," give 

 the curry-comb at least four or five strokes with the brush for 

 every one they bestow on the animal's coat ; in fact, they strap 

 the curry-comb far more than they do the horse. This 

 practice should of course be checked. 



The chief object of brushing the coat is to clean it. 



Formerly, the fibres of the dandy-brush were often made 

 of whalebone, which now costs too much to be employed 

 for that purpose. A dandy-brush of the present day has 

 stiff whisk fibres, about I ^ inch long, and is used chiefly to 

 remove mud and other rough dirt, and to save time in 

 grooming horses, especially those with long heavy coats. As 

 it is apt to irritate the skin, and as it possesses no advantage 

 over a body-brush except that of economising labour, it is 

 better suited to common horses than to high-class animals. 

 Cheap dandy-brushes are made of Mexican whisk, and the 

 best ones of French whisk. 



A water-brush has the same kind of bristles as a body- 

 brush, except that they are about ij^ inch long. It is 

 generally used for straightening the mane, tail and fore-lock, 

 and often for washing the legs and feet. As it is narrower, 

 softer and more pointed than a body-brush, it is admirably 

 suited for the dry brushing of the legs, ears, face and other un- 

 even surfaces. Hence I would advise that a dry water-brush 

 should be kept for this purpose. Water-brushes have gene- 

 rally the bristles in the centres and down the middle shorter 

 than those at the ends in order to facilitate the cleaning 

 of the feet and back of the pasterns. This is a matter 

 of taste. Personally, I prefer the bristles to be of a uniform 

 length. 



A hoof -brush is a necessary adjunct to the grooming tools, 

 when the pernicious custom of washing horses' feet is not 

 practised ; for its use will save brushes that are applied to 



