18 
ON THE RATIONALE OF CLIPPING, 
By Mr. Thomas Turner, V.S., Croydon. 
My object in addressing these few lines, through the medium of 
your truly useful Journal, is to solicit the earnest attention of the 
veterinary profession, individually and collectively, towards elicit- 
ing the true rationale of that most extraordinary and salutary aux- 
iliary in stable management, denominated “ clipping of the horse.” 
As regards the all-important fact of its efficacy upon the fast- 
working horse, I shall venture to assume that no schism can exist 
in the minds of our professional brethren, it being self-evident; but 
in this scrutinizing age, for the tracing of cause and effect, it would 
be unbecoming, if not culpable, for a numerous class of scientific 
men to remain content with the acceptance of the boon, without 
assiduously applying themselves to the philosophy of the thing — 
the modus operandi. Our well-read employer naturally and anx- 
iously puts the question, expecting a ready answer ; but I contend 
that this is a problem which does not admit of a reply quick, short, 
and decisive : it must be comprehensive in the broadest sense of 
the word. I submit that we should first ponder well upon its chief 
feature, which is instantaneous, viz. its tonic power ; and here it 
may be well in passing to comment on a fact which can never have 
escaped the observation of one individual fast horseman, — that the 
acknowledged best horse for quick work, whether for the road or 
field, is never what is called “up to the mark ” as a performer , 
unless his coat is limited to a certain length, and lies close to his 
skin. During the months of October and November, an inordinate 
growth of hair is observed over the whole surface of the body, and 
in many horses as early as the beginning of September, and which 
almost invariably prevails more or less in every horse short of 
being thorough bred. The debilitating effects thereby induced 
are profuse perspiration on the least possible exertion, depression 
of animal spirits, with the appetite in many instances so delicate 
that our professional advice is required to make the mind of the 
owners of such horses comfortable, by an assurance that illness is 
not present. A balm indeed this is to them when we can pro- 
nounce such a decision, and in proof of our opinion recommend the 
immediate removal of all the superfluous hair from the body by 
close clipping, which instantly proves such a tonic to the animal, 
that I unhesitatingly affirm it is inferior to none at present known 
in the whole range of our pharmacopoeia. The owner is con- 
strained in exstacy to exclaim, "It is truly marvellous! my horse 
