THE HORSE'S COAT 101 



coat it becomes much more difficult to dry a horse 

 after work, and he is apt to suffer unless great 

 care is taken to protect him from the ill-conse- 

 quences of standing with a wet coat. This diffi- 

 culty becomes so marked in some horses at the 

 end of September and throughout October that 

 those in charge of them begin to discuss the ad- 

 visability of clipping. 



As a general rule, clipping should be deferred 

 as late into the autumn as possible, or until the 

 temperature of the day and night are not so much 

 at variance; then the growth of the coat lessens 

 considerably. A horse clipped on the 10th of 

 November may not require clipping again for 

 two months or more, while one clipped on the 10th 

 of October may need it again in two 

 or three weeks. Horses clipped early in the 

 autumn usually have very dry-looking coats, and 

 it seldom improves their appearance, though it 

 does in a measure relieve them from the ill-results 

 of standing with wet coats, especially if it is 

 repeated several times during that season. 



Every reasonable effort should be made to put 

 off clipping until November, and the necessity 

 for it may be avoided in nearly all cases until 

 then. This can be accomplished in most instances 

 by care in proper blanketing. A light sheet may 

 be all that the horse can stand in the day time 

 without sweating, but at night he should be kept 



