HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 55 



a good deal faster than yon may want him to. XJiider those condi- 

 tions I invariably clip a horse, and tlie result, has always been per- 

 fectly satisfactory to n>e.— Life with the Trotters, John Spian. 



Will clii)ping liave a permanent effect upon tlie horse's coat, making it 

 come out earlier, or lieavier, or coarser, tlie next autumn? Skilled 

 opinions differ on tliis point, but, as a general principle, the cutting 

 of hair certainly tends to affect its fntiire growtli. Still, <'lipi)ing Tlie 

 coat once a year, probably has only a slight elfe'.'t— at least, until it 

 has been repeated for some years.— Koad, Track, and Stable, H. C. 

 Merwin. 



Another reason which grooms advance for clipping is, that the horse 

 moves much more freely after than before the oi)erati()n, because it 

 is relieved of the weight of superfluous hair. Mayhew, with all the 

 caution of a man of science, does not actually deny that such an 

 effect may be produced by clipping, but he very emphatically says 

 that he never saw it.— Horse and Man, Rev. J. ii. Wood. 



Close on Him. When a driver or rider who has been 

 trailing or following the running for half the distance, begins 

 to approach, or comes up even with a contending horse in a 

 heat or race, he is said to " close on him." Thus Mr. Splan, in 

 describing one of his races with Rarus against Great Eastern, 

 says : "As we rounded into the stretch Rams began to close 

 on him, and had got to his saddle skirts at the distance stand." 



Clothing", Garments ; covering ; furnishings for the care 

 of a horse. Horse clothing embraces : Sw^eat, cooling, stable 

 and street blankets; hoods; working and walking suits, and 

 waterproof covers — the materials being woolen, cotton-flannel 

 and linen. A suit embraces the following pieces, viz : One 

 kersey stable blanket ; one sheet, (for summer) ; one cooler, (a 

 light, square woolen blanket) ; one heavy square blanket, 

 woolen ; one light woolen hood for cooling out ; one fancy suit 

 for exhibition purposes, consisting of a nice blanket and hood 

 to match, finely made and lettered with the name of the horse 

 to which it belongs. In general there should be three suits for 

 each horse — one of heavy, one of medium and one of light 

 weight. Summer clothing should be of the same shape as 

 winter clothing, but larger and wider on the quarter piece to 

 give more protection from flies. The body cloth should come 

 well over the withers, buckling in front of the chest, and 

 extending back to the root of the tail or beyond. When a 

 horse needs to be sweat out, use a heavy neck piece, crest or 

 jowl hood, or a small blanket may be wrapped around the 

 neck in its place. The uses of clothing are to keep the horse 

 warm, to protect him from flies in hot weather, and against 

 injury, and to reduce fat — especially on those horses where 

 otherwise it could not be got rid of without so much work as 

 would be injurious to their limbs. 



Coarseness. An evidence of underbreeding w^ith 

 strength but without any redeeming features on the side 

 of refinement. The characteristics are : Carty bone ; soft 



