142 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. 



thus cleaned, whether he belongs to the farm or the city stable will not 

 occasion ehame on the part of the owner. 



It is a question among horsemen, whether when a team comes in wet 

 and muddy at night, it is proper to wash them. We have never fouild 

 advantage in so doing. Clothe them warmly, bandage the legs loosely, 

 and when dry, clean them, at least so far as removing the dirt, and getting 

 up a glow at the surface is concerned. Thus handled, horses will seldom 

 be found liable to surfeit, scratches, grease, and other diseases induced 

 by checking the natural perspiration. 



XI. The Time to Clean. 



Clean when the horse is. dirty. Always once a day when the horse is 

 kept in the stable. Horses that run in the fields in Summer, or in the 

 shed yard in Winter require no cleaning. Nature provides a natural 

 scurf that defends them from the changes of the weather. Before work 

 horses are littered down for the night they should be again thoroughly 

 cleaned if necessary. As, for instance, if the animal has been on the 

 road or in the field ; it is important and will lighten the morning cleaning, 

 apart from real necessity of the case. 



Whenever the horse comes into the stable from the plow or wagon, for 

 the day, he should be thoroughly cleaned when dry enough ^ and if sweat- 

 ing or otherwise wet should be thoroughly scraped at once. The scraper 

 is a thin, flexible piece of wood ; a section of barrel hoop makes a good 

 one. In any event a horse once in the stable, clean him thoroughly, un- 

 less he be taken out again after being "baited." If he remain in the stable 

 long enough for the operation, clean him especially as to the limbs, and 

 if there is time, as to the body. It may seem like a good deal of work, 

 but it will pay. 



Xn. Care of the Feet. 



The feet are half the horse, in fact a horse with bad feet, is as near a 

 worthless animal as possible. Attention to the feet is therefore of the 

 first importance. In this connection shoeing is to be attended to. Know 

 that the blacksmith understands his business. There are as many igno^ 

 rant botch-workmen in cities as in the country. The horse's foot should 

 be a study, and every horseman should understand the anatomy of the 

 foot ; this will be given in its proper place. How to care for the feet is 

 in place here. When the horse is brought in from work, each foot should 

 be lifted, cleaned, and examined with the picker to see that no gravel or 

 •ther hard substance has found lodgment between the shoe and hoof, or 



