GROOMING 89 



and warmly clothed will rarely have a coat long enough 

 to require clipping. 



As the bristles that grow about a horse's muzzle, eyes, 

 and chin act as feelers — replacing to some extent the 

 want of hands — they should not be cut or pulled out. 

 The hair which lines the external ear should also be 

 allowed to remain untouched. 



Grooming". — Before grooming, the horse may be tied 

 up by side reins running from rings fixed, about 6 ft. high, 

 at each side of the doorway of the stall, and attached to 

 the rings of the watering-bridle. 



If he kicks badly, his hind legs may be confined by a 

 short hobble (called in Hindustanee, mujuma) placed on 

 his hind pasterns. The use of heel-ropes is apt to strain 

 him. 



When the horse returns from exercise in clothing, he 

 should be tied up, his hood removed, and his neck and 

 throat scraped if there be any sweat visible. 



The space between his jaws should be carefully dried 

 with a dry cotton rubber. A man on each side, with a 

 fresh straw or hemp wisp, should go thoroughly over the 

 exposed parts, working the wisp backwards and forwards 

 well into his coat. The breast and body pieces are suc- 

 cessively removed, and his chest, forearms, shoulders, 

 back, loins, belly, quarters, thighs, etc., quickly rubbed 

 down and dried in a similar manner. This done, the syces 

 should set to and hand-rub him, beginning at his ears and 

 ending at his hocks. The ears should be pulled gently 

 between the fingers several times — a process that always 

 seems to refresh the animal. When hand-rubbing, the 

 stroke should be commenced by bringing the flat of the 



