PRErARATIO.N FOR FAST WORK. 319 



to ten, the skin becomes quite wet, perspiration issues from 

 every pore and runs down the legs. The horse's breathing 

 increases, and is often as quick and laborious as if he had just 

 run a race. This arises partly from the heat, and partly from 

 exhauslion. The sudden loss of so much fluid produces a 

 faintness very similar to that which follows a large bleeding ; 

 and, without doubt the eflcct is greater from the heat accu- 

 mulated on the surface. The time the horse is permitted to 

 sweat in this manner, must be regulated by the groom. It 

 had better be repeated in a few days, than overdone at first. 

 After the first sweat the groom will closely observe its effect, 

 and he will carry the next further, or not so far, according to 

 circumstances. With some the sweating need not stop till 

 the perspiration be dropping fast from the belly, running down 

 the legs, and passing over the hoofs ; with some others, upon 

 whom its effect may not yet be known, it will be time to stop 

 when the hair is completely soaked. The groom now and 

 then puts his hand under the clothes, and, passing it along the 

 skin, observes how much fluid be lodged in the hair. If the 

 horse be sufficiently warm when he enters the stable, he may 

 have to sweat from five to fifteen minutes. Few require more 

 than fifteen, and few less than five. 



The sweating having been carried to the desired extent, the 

 horse is stripped, the stable boys, usually one, and sometimes 

 two on each side, immediately scrape the horse all over ; 

 they make the skin dry, with as much expedition as possible. 

 After scraping the neck, sides, quarters, every place upon 

 which the scraper will operate, the legs and head are sponged. 

 By means of wisps and rubbers the horse is made quite dry ; 

 his standing clothes are put on ; he gets a quart or two of 

 tepid water, goes out and gets a short gallop ; is walked about 

 till quite cool ; when he is stabled, dressed, clothed, watered, 

 fed, and left to repose. The first water is tepid, and no more 

 is given than sufficient to make the horse eat. The first food 

 requires to be rather laxative, particularly for round barrelled 

 horses. The sweating produces costiveness, which is obvi- 

 ated by a bran mash : food is giv^en afterward. 



If it be desirable that this sweating produce a very decided 

 effect in reducing the horse, his allowance of water for the 

 next twenty-four or thirty-six hours should be moderate. He 

 will be disposed to drink very copiously, but if much be given, 

 it will be rapidly absorbed, and will, in some measure, fill the 

 place of that fluid which perspiration has taken away, and 

 there will be less stimulus for the absorbents to act upon the 



