GROOMING, STABLE GEAR, ETC. 9o 



Australians and colonials do ; and if the coat is at 

 all inclined to get long and thick, it certainly should 

 be taken off, for horse-clothing is so cheap that 

 an extra rug can always be got. Horses should 

 not be clipped till the coat has "set," i.e. till the 

 long winter coat has grown, and no more hairs 

 will come off when the hand is rubbed over the 

 skin. This is generally about the beginning of 

 October in Northern India. They will generally 

 require clipping twice or three times during the 

 winter, or up to the middle of March. There arc 

 generally some professional clippers in every station, 

 who bring their own clipping-machines, and charge 

 about two 01" three rupees for a pony, and an extra 

 rupee for a horse each time ; or, if there is not such 

 an individual about, permission can generally be 

 obtained to have it done by any of the cavalry 

 regiments in tlie station. It should be remembered 

 that horses having just lost their coats will require 

 an extra rug that night. 



Cleaning the Sheath. 



The owner must himself occasionally see that 

 the horse's sheath is washed out. *' Syces" never 

 think this necessary, and the part gets into a 

 filthy, dirty state, that in the summer months is 



