legs. The
horse's head is now loosened; he is turned about in his stall to have
his head and ears rubbed and brushed over every part, including throat,
with the dusting-cloth, finishing by "pulling his ears," which all
horses seem to enjoy very much. This done, the mane and foretop should
be combed out, passing a wet sponge over them, sponging the mane on both
sides, by throwing it back to the midriff, to make it lie smooth. The
horse is now returned to his headstall, his tail combed out, cleaning it
of stains with a wet brush or sponge, trimming both tail and mane, and
forelock when necessary, smoothing them down with a brush on which a
little oil has been dropped.

2212. Watering usually follows dressing; but some horses refuse
their food until they have drunk: the groom should not,
therefore, lay down exclusive rules on this subject, but study
the temper and habits of his horse.

2213. _Exercise_.--All horses not in work require at least two
hours' exercise daily; and in exercising them a good groom will
put them through the paces to which they have been trained. In
the case of saddle-horses he will walk, trot, canter, and gallop
them, in order to keep them up to their work. With draught
horses they ought to be kept up to a smart walk and trot.

2214. _Feeding_ must depend on their work, but they require
feeding three times a day, with more or less corn each time,
according to their work. In the fast coaching days it was a
saying among proprietors, that "his belly was the measure of his
food;" but the horse's appetite is not to be taken as a
criterion of the quantity of food under any circumstances.
Horses have been known to consume 40 lbs. of hay in twenty-four
hours, whereas 16 lbs. to 18 lbs. is the utmost which should
have been given. Mr. Croall, an extensive coach proprietor in
Scotland, limited his horses to 4-1/2 lbs. cut straw, 8 lbs.
bruised oats, and 2-1/2 lbs. bruised beans, in the morning and
noon, giving them at night 25 lbs. of the following; viz., 560
lbs. steamed potatoes, 36 lbs. barley-dust, 40 lbs. cut straw,
and 6 lbs. salt, mixed up together: under this the horses did
their work well. The ordinary measure given a horse is a peck of
oats, about 40 lbs. to the bushel, twice a day, a third feed and
a rack-full of hay, which may be about 15 lbs. or 18 lbs., when
he is in full work.