738 VETEEINAEY HYGIENE 



know. All that an animal requires on return from work 

 is to be dried if the surface of the body is wet, clothed, and 

 made comfortable. 



Drying a wet horse with a long coat is hard work, it 

 requires two men to do it properly. The ordinary means 

 of rubbing down is clean straw, the straw does not dry the 

 hair by absorbing moisture, but by friction. The friction 

 should be thorough, it is good for tired muscles (in fact, 

 nothing can take the place of rubbing and kneading tired 

 muscles), and at the same time reduces the chance of 

 chill. 



It is difficult to say when the body of a horse is per- 

 manently dry after sweating, owing to the curious physio- 

 logical phenomenon of ' breaking out ' into a sweat, a 

 second or third time after being previously dried. 



The careful horse-keeper looks out for this peculiarity, 

 which is much more marked in some horses than others. 

 It can only be met by a fresh process of drying, and may 

 to an extent be controlled by not watering too soon. On 

 this point we wish to be very clear, let the horse in a state 

 of sweat get its fill of water on return from work, before 

 the saddle is removed or anything done. Let him drink 

 his fill, and be certain he has it ; this will make him sweat 

 more, but it cannot be helped. If the weather is favourable 

 he should be walked about until nearly dry, then finished 

 off as above described, and no more water given if he is 

 liable to recurrent sweats ; if not so liable he can be again 

 tried before being fed. 



The sponging out of eyes, nostrils, and dock, in the 

 order named, is a hygienic advantage, but it requires a 

 lighter hand for the nostrils than is usually applied. The 

 sponge does not need to be squeezed up into the nasal 

 cavity as if a hole were being cleared out, nor should it be 

 picked up directly off the ground and adherent particles of 

 sand and straw thus introduced. These cut the Schneiderian 

 membrane, and streaks of blood are frequently seen after 

 such an application ; in consequence there are few minor 

 things a horse resents more than his nostrils being cleaned. 



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