GROOMING TOOLS AND THEIR USES. 331 



the body, from becoming dirty by contact with the feet. It 

 should have strong bristles, and should be of small size, so as 

 to get into the hollows about the sole and frog. For the sake 

 of convenience, it ought to be provided with a handle, the 

 end of which may be furnished with a hoof-picker. 



Each rib of a curry-comb should be made of wrought 

 iron, and for the sake of strength, rivetted to the back. 

 The teeth are generally too sharp, in which case they 

 should be filed down, so that they may not unduly wear out 

 the bristles of the brush. The two front ribs have projecting 

 pieces of iron on each side for knocking out the dust. The 

 cleaning of the body brush is the only portion of the 

 grooming that should be performed with a curry-comb, the 

 teeth of which are of too irritating a nature for application 

 to the skin, except with an amount of care that cannot be 

 expected from an ordinary groom. Although a curry-comb 

 may serve to loosen dirt which has caked on the coat, that 

 work can be done quite as well \vith a straw wisp, which 

 has the further advantage of stimulating the skin. 



Mane-combs are made either of horn or of metal. As 

 horn generally cracks in the course of time, especially in hot 

 and dry weather, mane-combs of that material are liable 

 when they get old, to pull out some of the hairs upon which 

 they are used. Consequently metal mane-combs are safer, 

 and, besides, they are more durable and can be kept cleaner. 

 I fail to see the use of a mane-comb in a well-regulated 

 stable ; because it is merely an incentive to a groom to scrimp 

 his work, and to pull out and break the hairs in combing. 

 The dressing of the mane, tail and fore-lock does not consist 

 only in putting the hairs straight, but also includes thoroughly 

 freeing them from dandruff and other dirt, and opening out 

 any knots in them, which is an operation few grooms with an 

 all powerful mane-comb in their hand, would care to spend 

 much time on. It is evident that a mane-comb is of no use 



