THE HARNESS-ROOM 85 



and we doubt not, bad tbey been gifted with speech, their 

 "tailors in leather" would have heard of many a cruel 

 misfit, whence " galls," " raws," " sitfasts," from saddles, 

 abscesses on the tongue, and injuries of both upper and 

 lower jaws by the barbarous tightness of the bearing-rein, 

 and the ill-made, ill-seated " post " of the bit. These and 

 many minor ailments and discomforts, damaging to the 

 health, beauty, and temper of the horse, arise from harness 

 badly made or carelessly adjusted and put on. 



The cleanliness of every part of a horse's clothing is 

 only secondary to its goodness. A peep into a well-ordered 

 harneas-room is a pleasant sight; well-kept leather is 

 always supple, soft, and pleasant to the feel, and how 

 important is dryness and "elbow-grease" to preserving 

 this useful material in that condition we need not say. If 

 the harness and " fixins " of the horses are in prime order, 

 we may almost safely trust that man with other details of 

 management with confidence, as it shows he does not shirk 

 labour or spare trouble. He must, however, be liberally 

 supplied with the proper means of doing his work as it 

 should be done. 



Foremost of these articles we may note a stove, in 

 conjunction with the airing and drying horse, an admirable 

 appendage to the stable for drying and airing harness and 

 saddles after use, and also for drying and airing horse 

 clothing and the cloths in general use about the stable. 

 This stove, besides warming the harness-room, will supply 

 hot water for the use of the stable, for cleansing the 

 horses, for equine foot-baths, bran mashes, gruel, and other 

 purposes. 



The stable appendages always required are buckets, 

 whalebone brooms or besoms, forks, body and dandy-brushes, 

 curry-combs, mane-combs, bandages, leathers, rubbers, 

 sponges, foot-pickers, and scissors. If for harness horses 

 and for cleaning carriages, there will be wanted also spoke- 

 brushes, mops, jacks, harness-brushes, and brushes for the 

 lining. 



The lodging-room for the groom or coachman is generally 

 over, or near, the stable ; and it should, at all events, be so 

 near as to allow of any unusual noise being heard by him, 

 for sometimes, when a horse is cast, or has the colic, he dies 

 for want of that assistance which could be readily given if 

 his state were known. 



