EQUITATION AND HORSE TRAINING. 35 



studied. As a rule any excess of fat disappears with 

 ordinary work. 



When giving a sweat, a suitable day and hour should 

 be selected; the horse should be well covered, wrapping 

 especially the parts where there is most fat; work the 

 horse a little at a walk and then gallop him steadily until 

 he is in profuse perspiration ; do not hurry about scraping, 

 but let the sweat have plenty of time to exude; uncover 

 the horse little by little and scrape slowly, bearing well on 

 the edge of the scraper to force out the sweat; re blanket 

 the horse and lead him around at a walk for a few minutes; 

 uncover and scrape again; finally walk the horse until he 

 is perfectly dry before returning him to the stable. 



There should always be an interval of about five days 

 between sweats and ordinarily three or four will be suffi- 

 cient. Be careful that the horse does not drink to excess 

 at the next watering. 



The first sweat is hard to bring; the third and fourth 

 time it comes more easily. 



Purges. — In addition to sweating, it is sometimes of 

 advantage to administer purgatives to reduce the intes- 

 tines of horses with too much belly. 



Before purging, a horse should be put on diet and 

 mashes for forty-eight hours. Either aloes or sulphate 

 of soda may be used as a purgative. Aloes acts directly 

 upon the large intestines and for this reason it is used by 

 preference for taking off belly. It is administered as a 

 ball in doses of 30 to 50 grams (7f to 12f drams)." 



Sulphate of soda (Glauber or horse salts) is given dis- 

 solved in the drinking water and has the great advantage 



a In our service a ball is usually made of aloes, 6 to 8 drams — with 

 ginger, 1 dram; or the issue ''purgative capsule" is used. Glauber 

 salts is an excellent laxative but is not on our supply table. The use 

 of physics to reduce fat has been abandoned in this country on account 

 of the accompanying weakening effects, but dieting is always enforced.— 

 The Board. 



