SWEATING 157 



loss of fat, is the sole cause of a horse becoming stale ; 

 for I know well that the effects of over-work and the 

 feverishness induced by excitement and high feeding, also 

 tend to bring about that condition. But I wish, simply, 

 to impress on my readers the fact that a certain amount 

 of fat, in the body of the horse, is indispensable to the 

 continued healthy action of his nervous system, on which 

 is dependent the exhibition of all muscular force. Hence, 

 we should avoid the mistake of drawing a horse fine too 

 soon, and should endeavour to apportion his work in such 

 a manner that he will be " trained to the hour," knowing 

 well that it is impossible to keep him "wound up to 

 concert pitch," beyond a few days. 



When a horse, under ordinary conditions, is well fed 

 and little worked, there is not alone a quantity of adipose 

 tissue deposited in his system, but also a certain amount 

 of infiltration of fat, in the form of distinct drops, takes 

 place in the cells of the different tissues, and particularly 

 in those of the liver. The fat, by distending the cells, 

 renders the muscles, liver, and other involved structures, 

 unfit to bear the strain of violent and continued exertion. 

 The object of training is not alone to get rid of the 

 retarding weight of a quantity of useless fat, but also to 

 eliminate the infiltrated fat from tissues that are called 

 into action during work ; hence, when we sweat a horse, 

 we do so in order to remove from his system a certain 

 amount of fat, some of which is broken up by the oxidation 

 of its carbon by the agency of respiration, while the greater 

 part of the remainder is carried out, in the form of oily 

 matter, along with the perspiration, which fluid is directly 

 abstracted from the blood. For the maintenance of health, 



