CAKE AND MANAGEMENT OF ANIMALS 733 



A horse in poor condition is far more likely to be injured 

 by a roller or blanket fastening than one with plenty of 

 muscle on the back. 



Preventive measures consist in taking the pressure off 

 the spine by placing something under the pad of the roller, 

 and as a temporary measure this may be a hay wisp or a 

 horse rubber. In cases where the roller is stitched to the 

 blanket and injury results from a horse being poor in 

 condition, the best remedy is to cut through the webbing 

 over the spine so as to insure no more damage is done, and 

 place under the blanket where the webbing exists a handful 

 of straw or hay on either side of the spine so as to take the 

 pressure off entirely. 



With horses kept for pleasure the clothing should be 

 wool, but not heavy, three rugs on a horse during winter 

 are too many. The largest amount of hair we obtained 

 from a heavy horse weighed from seven to eight pounds 

 with the dirt it contained ; with a well bred animal it 

 would be considerably less. 



Two blankets, each about 8 lbs. in weight, are ample in 

 the depth of winter. 



As to the use of a hood, this seems to be largely in- 

 fluenced by fashion ; it is rather like wearing a nightcap in 

 the house and then going out of doors with nothing on the 

 head. Hoods should only be seen in the Hospital. They 

 require careful fitting to keep the opening for the eyes in 

 the right place, but even then a hood is very liable to shift, 

 and a head collar placed over it does not always succeed in 

 keeping it in its place. 



The bottom of the hood should fasten tightly to the 

 blanket, so as to prevent it running towards the ears 

 when the horse's head is depressed, as in feeding off the 

 ground. 



All clothing should be shaken daily and aired. The 

 grease on the inside of the blanket may require brushing 

 out. 



Clipping is a comparatively modern stable procedure of 

 inestimable benefit, and now rendered simple and time 



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