HORSE-CLOTHING AND HORSES' COATS. 55 



the very moving of the coat is productive of a 

 considerable amount of scurf, which — coupled with 

 the fact that Providence has seen also fit to arrange 

 that when they most require additional covering 

 their skin, which is always more or less greasy, . 

 should become more so — renders them during the 

 colder months of the vear more difficult to OTOom. 

 To facilitate their grooming, as also to save their 

 being exhausted by having to do fast work when 

 burdened with a heavy coat, to prevent possible 

 chills when kept standing after sweating im- 

 moderately, as under such circumstances must 

 undoubtedly be the case, we are compelled to 

 remove this natural covering of hair, this winter 

 coat, by means of the clipping machine and singeing- 

 lamp. 



It is true that there are some horses which, 

 apparently, never get a winter coat, and whose 

 coats are, to look at, much the same at all seasons 

 of the year ; but such are the exceptions to the 

 general rule, and to these we will not here 

 refer. 



Having removed this coat for the purpose of 

 work, it is clearly necessary that we must provide 

 the animal, when he is not actually doing work, 

 with a substitute for that which Nature gave him 

 and we have removed. 



