OF THE FOAL. 193 



seldom, however, do horses avail themselves 

 of such shelter when it is provided for them, 

 the fact being that in a natural state they 

 are almost indifferent to rain. If you catch 

 a rough pony on a drenching day, when he 

 is fairly dripping and glistening with the 

 wet, you will find, on turning back his coat, 

 that he is warm and dry underneath, the 

 skin seeming to exude an oily scurf which 

 is impervioiis to wet ; while no doubt, too, 

 the hoofs of animals are non-conductors of 

 damp, otherwise they could not stand about 

 in slushy or boggy ground with impunity, 

 as they do. 



In enclosed runs for young horses the 

 white or Dutch clover should be assiduously 

 encouraged, and there should be a constant 

 supply of water, that they may drink when 

 inclined. Few grooms, by the way, seem 

 able to understand that a regular supply of 

 water is as essential to a horse's well-being 

 as his daily food. A notable case in point 



13 



