SUMMERING— CARE OF SADDLERY. 227 



after inspecting the situation, but on the whole their opinion, 

 however well founded, is not so much to be relied^ on as the fact 

 that horses have actually become fresh while turned out there. 



The fore feet should always be protected by "tips," which 

 are merely short shoes reaching only two-thirds of the way to the 

 heels, which are then left uncovered. The object is to avoid the 

 risk of breaking away the toes, which is incurred whenever the 

 foot is battered on hard ground, as it often is when it is stamped 

 continually, as horses are very apt to do, on the bare surface which 

 is kept dry beneath a sheltering tree. Here the fliep ire very apt 

 to collect around the horses, and to get rid of their annoyance the 

 legs are constantly in motion. If the full shoe is left on, the hind 

 toe is very apt to catch its heel in deep ground, and tear it wholly 

 or partially oflF; and, moreover, it is too often neglected, and either 

 the heels press into the sole, producing corns, or they confine the 

 frog, and lead to disease of that important organ. Tips may safely 

 be left on without removal for two or three months, whereas shoes 

 require attending to every three or four weeks. The hind shoes 

 are always taken off. partly because the hind feet are not so liable 

 to be broken at the toes, but chiefly because they would be dan- 

 gerous to other animals if they were left on from the severe dam- 

 age which is done by a kick with an armed heel. 



Horses whose jugular veins have become obliterated from 

 adhesive inflammation following bleeding, are unfit to be turned 

 out in consequence of the difficulty which is presented to the re- 

 turn of the blood from the head by its low position in grazing. 

 So also those which have recently suffered from staggers should 

 not be sent out to grass, for fear of the position causing a return 

 of the disease. 



CARE OF SADDLERY AND HARNESS. 



The management of saddlery must have a treble object. 

 Firsf^ the groom should take care that he does nothing which shall 

 injure the horse. Secondly^ he must have a due regard to his 

 master's comfort in using it. And, tMrdhj^ he must please the 

 eye. I must therefore show how each of these purposes can best 

 be effected. 



To AVOID INJURING THE HORSE the groom should begin when 

 he first comes in from work, and before lie removes the saddle or 

 cellar. It is ascertained by experience that if these are taken off 

 when the skin beneath them is hot and sweating, inflammation will 

 almost surely follow, while by leaving them loosely in their places 

 for a short time no injurious effect is perceived. If a groom who 

 is master of his business is watched when his horses come in, he 

 will be seen to loosen their girths and lift the saddles from their 

 backs for a second, repl icing them loosely, and leaving them there 



