44 THROUGH STABLE AND SADDLE-ROOM. 



whalebone, or whalebone and what is termed whisk. 

 Their price is about 2s. to 2s. 6d. 



Curry-combs. — A curry-comb is used for clean- 

 ing the body-brush when grooming, and to clear it 

 of the scurf which accumulates on the brush. It 

 should be used for that purpose alone, and not, as I 

 have seen ignorant grooms do, for scraping the 

 horse with. Could ignorance, and I may almost 

 acid brutality, go further than to scrape the skin 

 of a horse with a curry-comb ? — which latter, being 

 made of iron and having its edges serrated, must be 

 about as pleasant to the wretched animal as it 

 would be if rubbed with a row of saws. No wonder 

 so many horses are bad to groom. Curry-combs 

 are very inexpensive, and can be bought from 6d. 

 to Is. each. Those with a webbing handstrap are 

 better than those with handles, being more con- 

 venient to hold, and the handles invariably come 

 off after a few days' use. 



Mane-combs. — I need not say anything about 

 mane-combs further than that they should be made 

 of horn. These, and not what are termed, and 

 aptly so, ' mane-drags,' should be used. The latter 

 are useless in a gentleman's stable, and, in the 

 hands of any but the most experienced in their use, 

 are brutallv cruel instruments. Mane-combs cost 

 but a very few pence. 



