90 STABLE ECONOMY. 



ground, or rubs himself against a tree. He comes home with 

 a very ugly and a very dirty coat, but the skin is cleaner than 

 if the horse had been all the time in a stable. I think I have 

 observed that colts who have never been stabled, preserve a 

 cleaner skin at grass than those that have been long accus- 

 tomed to a daily dressing. It would be foolish to attempt 

 any explanation of this before it is ascertained to be true. I 

 am not sure of it. But it is very well known that an old 

 horse is very apt to become mangy and lousy if kept long in 

 the stable without grooming. I do not know what effect the 

 friction of a daily dressing may have upon the general health. 

 Its beneficial influence upon the human body is acknowledged 

 by all medical men, and, especially in warm countries, it is 

 duly appreciated. That friction promotes the secretions of 

 the horse's skin, is evident from the permanent gloss which it 

 imparts to the hair ; that a disordered state of the skin pro- 

 duces a disordered state of the stomach, the bowels, and the 

 lungs, can hardly be denied, since it is universally admitted 

 that a particular state of these latter organs is constantly fol- 

 lowed by derangement of the former. If diseases in the 

 stomach or bowels can produce diseases in the skin, surely 

 diseases in the skin may produce diseases in the stomach. 



Want of Dressing, whether it affect the general health or 

 not, produces lice and mange. Mange may arise from causes 

 independent of a neglected skin, but it very rarely visits a 

 well-groomed horse. Bad food or starvation has something 

 to do in the production of lice ; but the want of dressing has 

 quite as much, or more. It is the business of the stableman 

 to prevent mange, so far as prevention is possible. Its treat- 

 ment belongs to the veterinarian, and need not be here de- 

 scribed. But it is the groom's duty both to prevent and to 

 cure lousiness. 



Lice may accumulate in great numbers before they are dis- 

 covered. Sometimes they are diffused over all the skin ; at 

 other times they are confined to the mane, the tail, and parts 

 adjacent. The horse is frequently rubbing himself, and often 

 the hair falls out in large patches. There are many lotions, 

 powders, and ointments, for destroying lice. Ointments are 

 not easily applied, and they are seldom effective ; but when 

 the vermin are confined to a little space, the mercurial oint- 

 ment rubbed well into the skin, is better than any other oily 

 application. [This is a dangerous remedy, and after being 

 applied, the horse's head should be so confined that he can 

 not touch the anointed parts with his tongue or lips, or be 



