186 THE HORSE. 



pillar reins are buckled to the bit on each side, and the horse is 

 left till he is wanted. 



Dressing after work depends upon the state in which the 

 horse is returned to the stable, when he may be cool and clean, or 

 in a profuse sweat still suing on, or with his sweat dried in, or 

 completely smothered with dirt, or wet from rain, but chilled rather 

 than too hot ; or lastly, when exhausted from a severe run or other 

 hard work. 



When the horse returns cool and clean, the groom throws 

 his rug lightly over his quarters, and, taking a bucket and a brush 

 he proceeds to pick and wash out the feet, standing on the near 

 side, with his back to the horse's head, so that he can use his left 

 hand to hold the feet, and his right for the brush. If the legs 

 are quite clean, there is no necessity for washing them at all; but 

 most grooms do so as a matter of course, and if they are properly 

 dried afterwards, there is no objection to the plan. Hunters, and 

 valuable horses of all kinds, are immediately protected by flannel 

 bandages ; but in ordinary stables the legs are merely partially 

 dried with a rubber, and are left in that state till the horse is 

 dressed over. If the work has been continued for more than four 

 or five hours without feeding, it will be well to put on flannel band- 

 ages, and let the horse have a feed of corn ; but, otherwise, it is 

 better to finish the dressing first. The cloth being removed, a 

 whisp of hay is taken in the hand, and first the head and neck, and 

 then the body, is dressed over ; finishing off with the rubber, as 

 previously described. The clothing is then put on, the legs thor- 

 oughly dried, the litter put straight, and the task is finished. 



When brought in still sweating profusely, if the weather 

 is warm, the horse must be led about in the shade, with tlie sad- 

 dle on, till he is nearly or quite dry; for if he is put into the stable 

 before he is cool, he will break out again as badly as ever, and if 

 the saddle is removed the back will become sore. A hemp halter 

 is cooler and more handy than a head-collar, and it is usually em- 

 ployed out of doors for all purposes connected with cleaning. In 

 the winter, this exposure to the air out of doors is not necessary ; 

 and, indeed, it would often be dangerous, the stable being gener- 

 ally cool enough to stop all tendency to sweat, even with a light 

 rug on. At this season, therefore, after the legs are washed and 

 the bandages put on, which they should be whenever the horse is 

 in a sweat, the dressing may be conducted in the usual way, in the 

 expectation, which will seldom be disappointed, that at the end of 

 half an hour's strapping, the skin will have become quite cool, and 

 will look all the better for the profuse cleansing which it has re- 

 ceived by means of the watery fluid given off by it. A scraper 

 will be necessary, which may be either of wood or iron ; and with 

 this all the superfluous moisture is at once scraped from the sur- 



