476 HIDE-BOUND. 



What a desideratum in the management of the horse would be a course of 

 treatment that woull render all this unnecessary? This desideratum has beea 

 found — a free escape of perspiration, a moist and softened state of the skin, an 

 evident increase of health and capability of enduring fatigue, and working on 

 shorter supply of food than he could before. This is said to be performed by 

 the clipping and singeing systems. 



Mr. Thomas Turner, who was almost one of the earliest advocates of these 

 systems, states that during the months of October and November an inordinate 

 growth of hair is observed over the whole surface of the body, and in many 

 horses as early as the beginning of September, and almost invariably prevails, 

 more or less, in every horse that is not thorough-bred. The debilitating 

 effects thereby induced are profuse perspiration on the least possible exertion — 

 depression of the animal spirits, and temporary loss of appetite. The imme- 

 diate removal of all the superfluous hair by close clipping, instantly proves so 

 powerful a tonic to the animal, that he unhesitatingly affirms it to be inferior to 

 none at present known in our pharmacopoeia. Mr. Turner adds, — " Now, signal 

 as the success of clipping has been, I do entertain a hope, and am of opinion 

 that, in the majority of instances, it may be superseded by singeing under cer- 

 tain modifications.*" 



We may not, perhaps, be able satisfactorily to explain the apparently magical 

 effects of clipping and singeing on the general constitution, and particularly the 

 wind of the horse, or the respiratory functions generally, but there is no doubt 

 of their existence. An increased tone is given to the system generally ; and 

 probably, in some way not yet sufficiently developed, the increased current of 

 the electric fluid may have much to do with it. 



Mr. Snewing gives an interesting account of the effect of clipping on two horses 

 in his establishment. He had a cob, with a fixed catarrh of several months' stand- 

 ing. It did not interfere with the animal's general health, but was a source of 

 considerable annoyance. At length the owner determined to sell him ; but first he 

 had him clipped. After a few days his attention was drawn to the circumstance, 

 that either the horse's cough must have left him, or, from repeatedly hearing it, 

 he had ceased to regard it. He watched the animal, and, truly enough, he 

 found that the cough had entirely disappeared. He rode him through the 

 winter and the following summer, and there was no return of it. 



The other instance was in a mare which he had after this one was sold. In 

 the months of August, September, and October, 1841, she was continually the 

 subject of intermittent cough. He had her clipped, and in a few days she 

 ceased to cough, and has not been heard to cough from that time. 



HIDE-BOUND. 

 This is not so much a diminution of the cellular or fatty substance between the 

 skin and the muscles beneath, as it is an alteration in the skin itself. It is a 



* Veterinarian, vol. xiv., 18. being the case. I did not see three clipped 



Injustice, however to an excellent sports- horses last year (1840); at Melton, in the 



man, Nimrod, we must quote another opinion, Quorn stables not one, nor in Mr. Foljambe's. 



and with that the subject shall be left to the Singed ones I did see to a certain extent ; but 



consideration of our readers. " On the sub- a hardy-riding Meltonian told me that he 



ject of clipping, I cannot agree with Mr. would have no move spirits of wine charged in 



Gabriel as to the call for it, much less admit his groom's book. ' A mere substitute,' 



its almost universal adoption. I would clip said he, • in my stable for the old-faBhioned 



load-coach horses, and a hunter that had elbow-grease.' In my opinion the horse is 



been summered entirely at grass, despairing of not yet foaled which cannot be got into per- 



condition ou any other terms. It is a mere feet condition without this outrage on nature.™ 



substitute for good grooming. As for its — The Veterinarian, vol xiv. p. 3S. 

 almost universal adoption, such is far from 



