on
a valuable horse, adding plenty of fresh litter under the belly.

2218. _Bridles_.--Every time a horse is unbridled, the bit
should be carefully washed and dried, and the leather wiped, to
keep them sweet, as well as the girths and saddle, the latter
being carefully dried and beaten with a switch before it is
again put on. In washing a horse's feet after a day's work, the
master should insist upon the legs and feet being washed
thoroughly with a sponge until the water flows over them, and
then rubbed with a brush till quite dry.

2219. _Harness_, if not carefully preserved, very soon gets a
shabby tarnished appearance. Where the coachman has a proper
harness-room and sufficient assistance, this is inexcusable and
easily prevented. The harness-room should have a wooden lining
all round, and be perfectly dry and well ventilated. Around the
walls, hooks and pegs should be placed, for the several pieces
of harness, at such a height as to prevent their touching the
ground; and every part of the harness should have its peg or
hook,--one for the halters, another for the reins, and others
for snaffles and other bits and metal-work; and either a wooden
horse or saddle-trees for the saddles and pads. All these parts
should be dry, clean, and shining. This is only to be done by
careful cleaning and polishing, and the use of several requisite
pastes. The metallic parts, when white, should be cleaned by a
soft brush and plate-powder; the copper and brass parts
burnished with rottenstone-powder and oil,--steel with
emery-powder; both made into a paste with a little oil.

2220. An excellent paste for polishing harness and the
leather-work of carriages, is made by melting 8 lbs. of yellow
wax, stirring it till completely dissolved. Into this pour 1 lb.
of litharge of the shops, which has been pounded up with water,
and dried and sifted through a sieve, leaving the two, when
mixed, to simmer on the fire, stirring them continually till all
is melted. When it is a little cool, mix this with 1-1/4 lb. of
good ivory-black; place this again on the fire, and stir till it
boils anew, and suffer it to cool. When cooled a little, add
distilled turpentine till it has the consistence of a thickish
paste, scenting it with any essence at hand, thinning it when
necessary from time to time, by