THE CARE OF HORSES. 803 
GROOMING. 
The necessary tools are a currycomb and the brush 
that accompanies it, a mane brush, a good, soft cloth, 
a scraper, towels, a pick for the feet, sponges, and a 
pail. To these may be added with advantage a softer 
brush, almost like a hat brush, and a chamois skin. 
Combs and cards should be banished to the cow sta- 
ble. To discriminate a good groom from a bad one 
is a matter for the experienced eye of about fifteen 
seconds. If a man undertakes to clean your horse, 
whatever the circumstances, without first removing 
his coat, you may be sure that he is a sluggard and 
an impostor. The retention of his waistcoat even 
gives reasonable ground for suspicion, and the real 
workman is almost sure to let down his suspenders 
and roll up his sleeves. When, as will happen some- 
times at a New England tavern, a young man wearing 
spectacles, and with the languid air of a divinity stu- 
dent, looks after the stable, I take off my own coat. 
There are four places in especial on the horse which 
a lazy or incompetent groom will neglect, and which 
may be examined as a criterion. These are the inside 
of his ears, the crevice, so to say, under his jaws, the 
inside of his hind quarters, and the part under his 
tail, which should be cleaned with a wet sponge at 
least once a day, for much dust and dandruff collect 
there. The root of the mane is also frequently a 
neglected spot. _ 
Perhaps the cardinal principle in grooming is this: 
the currycomb should not be employed on the horse, 
but on the brush. Now the ordinary horse owner will 
declare that this statement is applicable only to the 
