holding
the left cheek of the headstall in the left hand, and curry him from the
setting-on of his head all over the body to the buttocks, down to the
point of the hock; then change your hands, and curry him before, on his
breast, and, laying your right arm over his back, join your right side
to his left, and curry him all under the belly near the fore-bowels, and
so all over from the knees and back upwards; after that, go to the far
side and do that likewise. Then take a dead horse's tail, or, failing
that, a cotton dusting-cloth, and strike that away which the currycomb
hath raised. Then take a round brush made of bristles, with a leathern
handle, and dress him all over, both head, body, and legs, to the very
fetlocks, always cleansing the brush from the dust by rubbing it with
the currycomb. In the curry-combing process, as well as brushing, it
must be applied with mildness, especially with fine-skinned horses;
otherwise the tickling irritates them much. The brushing is succeeded by
a hair-cloth, with which rub him all over again very hard, both to take
away loose hairs and lay his coat; then wash your hands in fair water,
and rub him all over while they are wet, as well over the head as the
body. Lastly, take a clean cloth, and rub him all over again till he be
dry; then take another hair-cloth, and rub all his legs exceeding well
from the knees and hocks downwards to his hoofs, picking and dressing
them very carefully about the fetlocks, so as to remove all gravel and
dust which will sometimes lie in the bending of the joints." In addition
to the practice of this old writer, modern grooms add wisping, which
usually follows brushing. The best wisp is made from a hayband,
untwisted, and again doubled up after being moistened with water: this
is applied to every part of the body, as the brushing had been, by
changing the hands, taking care in all these operations to carry the
hand in the direction of the coat. Stains on the hair are removed by
sponging, or, when the coat is very dirty, by the water-brush; the whole
being finished off by a linen or flannel cloth. The horsecloth should
now be put on by taking the cloth in both hands, with the outside next
you, and, with your right hand to the off side, throw it over his back,
placing it no farther back than will leave it straight and level, which
will be about a foot from the tail. Put the roller round, and the
pad-piece under it, about six or eight inches from the fore