63 THE FAMILY HORSE. 



dandruff. There are also more expensive and very effective brushes, 

 with leather backs, which fit themselves to the irregularities of the 

 horse's surface. 



Special care must be used in handling the currycomb on the bony 

 parts of the head and face. When they are properly dressed, the 

 neck, shoulders, body and legs are gone over, the operator holding 

 the comb in one hand and the brush in the other. With the former 

 the hair is gently and lightly lifted, and the scurf and dandruff loos- 

 ened, while the latter follows, removing aU extraneous matters which 

 have been loosened by the comb. Then the horse is poUshed down 

 with wisps of straw and rubbing cloths. The mane and tail should 

 never be dressed with the currycomb, as it will pull out the hair. 

 Coarse combs are made of hard rubber for this purpose, and 



one of them, with a brush of 

 any good pattern, are the 

 proper implements. In spring 

 when the horse is shedding 

 its winter coat, care should be 

 taken not to remove the old 

 hair too rapidly. The joints 

 at the hips, hocks and other 

 places where the bones are 

 „. ,, near the surface shoidd not 



Fig. 44. — SWEAT SCBAPEB. , , , j -4.1. j.i. 



° be touched with the curry- 



comb. The legs demand special care in removing all dirt from the 

 fetlocks and pasterns. The dressing in all places where the curry- 

 comb cannot be used, must be done with the brush, wisps and cloth. 

 When the horse is brought in drenched with rain or wet with 

 perspiration, the moisture is best removed by means of the scraper. 

 There are various forms of these useful implements, one of which is 

 shown in figure 44. Others are two-handed, each consisting of 

 a long strip of steel or brass with a handle at each end. The scraper 

 is passed over the neck and all accessible parts of the body, with a 

 steady gentle pressure, repeated as often as is necessary to remove all 

 excess of water and mud. If the weather is cold the clothing is put 

 on, and the legs plunged, two at the time, in warm water to soak off 

 the dirt. For this and many other occasions when it is desirable to 

 bathe the feet and legs, every stable shoiild be provided with a suit- 

 able tub. One may easily be made by sawing an oak barrel in two 

 at the bung, and nailing a board on the head, flush with the ends of 

 the staves, to support the pressure from within. A few moments 

 bathing will loosen the mud and greatly refresh the horse. The fore- 

 legs are then rubbed with wisps of straw until thoroughly dry, and 



