DETAILS OF GROOMING. 341 



back may be the disastrous consequence. In such a case, the 

 best preventive treatment is obviously stimulation by friction, 

 the effect of which will be much increased by the use of a 

 little spirits, as we have seen. Or we may maintain the 

 heat of the part by allowing the saddle to remain on, in 

 which case the blood vessels will have every facility to 

 rectify the disturbance which has occurred in the circulation. 

 We should here note that cold causes contraction of the walls 

 of the blood vessels, and that heat has the opposite effect 

 The swelling which is caused by pressure, is due to the fact 

 that the walls of the veins are more compressible than those 

 of the arteries. Hence, when a part is subjected to pressure, 

 more blood is carried to it by the arteries than the veins can 

 remove, and consequently there is an accumulation of fluid, 

 which is made manifest by a swelling. After the rider has 

 dismounted, the bearing surfaces of the back can be further 

 relieved of pressure by slackening the girths, which should 

 accordingly be done without delay. 



Quartering is an abbreviated form of grooming, in which 

 the roller is not undone, and the body-brush is not used. 

 When the quarter-sheet or rug is turned back on the roller, 

 the head, neck, mane, breast and fore legs are lightly brushed 

 over with the dandy-brush ; the eyes, nostrils and dock 

 sponged out ; stains removed, and wet parts dried. The 

 horse, if in a stall, is then taken off the pillar reins and 

 put on the rack chain ; the rear end of the rug or quarter- 

 sheet turned towards the roller ; the hind quarters and 

 hind legs lightly brushed with the dandy-brush, and the 

 clothing straightened. In many stables, this constitutes all 

 the grooming that is done, when horses are not wanted for 

 work. 



I hope I have said sufficient to indicate the principles that 

 should regulate the economical grooming of working horses, for 

 which the use of the body brush will have to be largely or 



