Clipping Horses 23 
has been removed. Then with a slightly curved stick, 
commonly called a scraper, the dirt and sweat can be 
thoroughly removed. The skin should then be rubbed 
dry with rubbing cloths and the hair brushed down 
straight. 
THE CLIPPING OF HORSES 
When horses are kept in comfortable stables dur- 
ing the winter, and are well protected against cold 
by stable blankets while in the barn and by street 
blankets while standing out, there is no serious ob- 
jection to clipping them. It improves the appear- 
ance of the horse and his coat is more easily kept 
clean. Horses with long, thick coats should be clipped, 
as they usually sweat easily and their coats hold the 
moisture, so that if the animal is allowed to stand it 
is liable to take cold. If horses are clipped twice a 
year, the operation should be performed the first time 
soon after the hair has grown out in the fall. This 
allows them to become accustomed to the change be- 
fore cold weather sets in, and it also allows for some 
growth of hair before winter. They should be clipped 
the second time in early spring, as soon as the weather 
begins to get warm and before the winter coats begin 
to be shed. 
When horses cannot be protected from the cold, 
either in the stable or outside, they should not be 
clipped in the fall; but the long hair on the legs, 
as far as the knee and hock, may be removed. This 
is particularly important in horses that are required 
to work in mud, as the legs are much more readily 
