50 



MODERN HORSE MANAGEMENT 



[CHAP. 



flow to the surface. In addition to this, exercise 

 or vigorous rubbing down all over the body 

 should be resorted to at once, thus stimulating 

 the blood supply to the surface of the body. 



194. A point worthy of note to those who live 

 in countries where the winters are cold is that 

 when an organ or muscle has been emptied of 

 its blood through cold, as in a frost-bite, the 

 blood upon returning suddenly may rupture 

 some of the vessels and cause severe inflamma- 

 tion with violent pain, and possibly gangrene 

 (local death) ; so, to avoid this, the blood must 

 be allowed to return slowly ; this is best accom- 

 plished by rubbing the affected part with snow. 

 I have experienced this pain and inflammation 

 myself, so well know the value of remembering 

 the remedy. 



195. To recapitulate, grooming is necessary 

 with horses kept under civilised conditions, for 

 the removal of dirt and dandruff (dead epithelial 

 cells of the epidermis), to keep the coat short, to 

 stimulate the action of the skin glands and oil 

 the hair, to increase the blood supply to the skin, 

 and to stimulate the functions of the whole body. 



The lazy groom who has no knowledge of 

 physiology, not being watched by his more 

 ignorant master, removes the outer dirt, but does 

 not groom the horse. In no place is grooming 

 carried on better than in first-class racing stables, 

 because without it the horses could not be 

 kept in condition ; the extra expense of keeping 

 grooms and strappers counts for little. This 

 last item, however, counts considerably in large 

 commercial stables. Messrs. Tilling, of Peck- 

 ham, inform me that their horses get twenty 

 minutes' grooming by machinery every day. I 

 am sorry to say that most commercial horses do 

 not get as much as this. Twenty minutes' groom- 

 ing by a man who knows how to use the brushes 

 and his weight will do more good than two 

 hours of brushing by a man who does not know. 

 In fact, however long an amateur grooms a horse 

 he will never produce the same effect ; the secret 

 of good grooming is rapidity. It can only be 

 learnt by watching others and by considerable 

 practice. A good groom should groom a horse 

 thoroughly in one hour. 



196. Method of Grooming. In grooming, the 

 whole weight of the body should be used on 

 the brush ; I do not believe a man can 

 groom a horse properly unless he perspires 

 himself. Always commence with each brush or 

 cloth on the near (left) side at the head, and 

 work right down the neck, shoulder, and fore- 

 leg, then the trunk, hindquarters and hindlegs. 

 Hold the brush in the left hand if working 

 on the left side, and vice versa. Then do the 

 off side with the same brush ; then start on 

 the near side with the next brush, and so on. 

 If a horse is very dirty and the weather is cold, 

 start on him as soon as he comes into the stable ; 

 rub him all over with a wisp of straw, par- 



ticularly on the muddy parts, thus removing 

 mud and drying him as well. The fact of rub- 

 bing the coat, without even grooming so far as 

 to dry it, will set up increased circulation and 

 prevent chill. The best way to dry a horse is to 

 hand-rub him all over. This is done with the 

 palm and open fingers in the same way as 

 massaging is done. It will not harm a horse to 

 sponge him down when he comes in hot, pro- 

 vided this is done at once, followed by a brisk 

 rubbing down. 



Hand-rubbing at any time is of the greatest 

 use, although seldom resorted to on account of 

 laziness. The value gained from it is well worth 

 the time spent. Twenty minutes' hand-rubbing 

 every morning is of the greatest benefit. To get 

 a really good glow on a horse's coat, two men 

 must work, one on each side, and it will take 

 them half an hour. One man working for one 

 hour would not produce the same effect. Horses' 

 feet must be picked out thoroughly in the com- 

 missures morning and night and after exercise. 

 The feet should be thoroughly washed out with 

 a water-brush and clean water every morning 

 and on returning from work, or at least every 

 morning, as it is necessary to remove all manure 

 or wet straw from the clefts of the frog ; such 

 impurities if not removed will dissolve the horn. 

 Glean water will never do any harm, but it 

 should not be allowed to get on to the heels. 



197. In grooming a horse, he must never be 

 ill-treated ; he should be always gently yet 

 firmly treated, so that he can associate grooming 

 with pleasant things, and thus not object to 

 being groomed, as so many horses do. A horse 

 should never be groomed while he is feeding 

 oats, but he can be given some hay while being 

 groomed. Grooms are too fond of washing the 

 legs in muddy weather. This is not to be re- 

 commended, as it tends to get rid of the natural 

 oil from the coat. Good hand-rubbing with 

 straw, and then brushing with a dandy-brush, 

 should be sufficient. White legs, of course, re- 

 quire washing more often. If washed, they must 

 be thoroughly dried, especially at the heels, if the 

 hair has been trimmed ; dry bran or sawdust 

 is good to assist in drying. Horses that return 

 with wet legs should be rubbed down sufficiently 

 to take the worst off, but experience has shown 

 that if the stable is comfortable and free from 

 floor draughts, cracked heels (scratches) are far 

 less common if horses' heels are not dried, 

 whether they are clipped or not. This holds good 

 even during the Canadian winter, but does not 

 refer to legs that have been washed. If the heels 

 are dried they must be dried properly. 



When the saddle is removed, a wet patch is 

 sometimes found underneath. This should be 

 hand-rubbed or wisped against the coat to in- 

 crease the circulation and prevent cold and the 

 formation of lumps. If a saddle is removed 

 from a horse directly it is brought to the stable. 



