Notes on Stable Management in India and the Colonies Part 5

Eye fringes are absolutely necessary in India, and are used in parts of Australia to protect the eyes from the flies. They are fastened on to the cheek strap of the head collar with a small tab and b.u.t.ton-hole in place of a brow band, and have a fringe of either leather or cotton cords that hang down over the eyes halfway to the nose. I prefer the cord ones; the fringes are always flat and in contact with the face, whereas the leather ones are liable to curl up at the ends and allow the flies to get underneath. The cotton ones are easier mended than the leather.

Fly Whisks (_chaurie_).

I always give each "syce" a fly whisk to keep flies off the horse while at exercise, or when he is holding him anywhere. They are very cheap, last a long time, and if not provided, the "syce" will arm himself with a dirty duster or rag of some sort for the purpose. I may, perhaps, be too sensitive on this point, but to see a dirty rag flourished about an otherwise well-turned-out animal is to me a great eyesore.

Cleaning Horse Clothing, and Storing it in the Summer.

It never enters the head of a "syce" that clothing requires to be cleaned.

It should be frequently hung out in the sun and well beaten with a stick, like a carpet is, and then well brushed on both sides with a stiff clothes-brush. If necessary, it should be laid out flat and scrubbed with a brush and soap and water, rinsed out with cold water, as hot will make it shrink, and then, when dry again, beaten and brushed. The straps on pieced rugs should have some dubbing (momrogan) now and again rubbed into them, to prevent their getting hard and the leather peris.h.i.+ng. Summer clothing should be sent to the washerman (dhobie) to be washed. During the summer months woollen clothing should be first cleaned, and then folded up and put away, some camphor, pepper, and leaves of the "neem" tree, that grows in every garden in Northern India, being placed between the folds to keep off the moths. They should be folded away on the top of a box, board, or table, or somewhere raised off the ground, to be out of the way of the white ants, and once a week be unfolded and hung out in the sun to air for a few hours, folded up, and stored away again. There is no occasion to waste the spices that are with them; if they are carefully unfolded over some newspapers, the whole can be collected and used again.

Numdahs.

If used at all, felt numdahs should have a plain edge, and not be bound with coloured tape, as they so often are; particularly the cheaper ones, that are sold by native saddlers. I have frequently seen sore backs caused by this tape binding, as well as the hair in white horses discoloured by the edge. When put on, the numdah should be well pulled up into the arch of the saddle, particularly in front. The common practice is to put the numdah flat on the back, and then the saddle on the top of it, so that when the weight comes on it, the numdah gets tight and is stretched, and is a common cause of sore backs and galled withers. When taken off the horse's back, the numdah should be spread out in the sun to dry; it should then be beaten with a stick and brushed with a hard brush to get the dry caked perspiration out of it, and to bring the nap of the felt up again. If this is not done it will get as hard as a board, and neglected numdahs are certain to give sore backs. If the saddle is properly stuffed and fitted to the horse's back, a numdah is not required, the only use of it being to save the lining of the saddle, and for this purpose I prefer a leather one.

Grooming (_malish_).

Grooming is an art that native grooms excel in. They have infinite patience, and their long supple fingers are peculiarly adapted for the work. They, furthermore, are used to it, for every Oriental is an adept at shampooing or ma.s.sage, constantly doing it to their own limbs and those of their friends. When the horse comes in from work the bridle should be taken off him, hung up on a peg, and a watering bridle put into his mouth, the stirrup irons run up to the top of the leathers, and the girths slackened. If there is a breast-plate it can be taken off, but the saddle should not be removed till the back gets cool. According to the season of the year, a light or warm rug should be thrown over the quarters, and the horse walked about till he gets cool. If there is much mud sticking on him, it can be rubbed off with a wisp of straw before the brush is used.

Horses should not be washed, or, if they are, only under very exceptional circ.u.mstances, when specially ordered. It is, however, a favourite practice among "syces," as it saves a good deal of trouble; and it is much easier to wash off mud and dirt than to remove it with the brush, as ought to be done; they are also very apt to use the curry-comb for this purpose.

When the horse is cool he should be gone over with the brush, to remove what dirt is remaining, and when this is finished the process should be repeated with the hands, the palm and bend of the wrist being used for this purpose. If it is the hot weather, the grooming had best be done out-of-doors; but in winter it is best to do it in the stable, as in Northern India there is a cold wind blowing even in the middle of the day, and if exposed to it horses are liable to catch cold. As soon as the grooming is finished, which with a clipped horse can be done in about half an hour, the clothing and bandages should be put on, and, if it is evening, the bed put down. Even if not worked, this process of grooming should take place twice a day--before the morning and evening feed.

Wisps and Grooming Pads.

Straw wisps or leather pads are particularly useful in developing the muscle of a thin animal, or bringing the skin into order when it has been neglected. The wisps are made by twisting some of the bedding straw together into a rope about three feet long. This is then doubled in the middle and again twisted, so as to form a flat pad. Two of these wisps are used, one in each hand, and they are alternately brought down with a slight slap and drawing motion in the direction of the hair, the whole body being ma.s.saged with them. It is sometimes a good plan, if there is much dirt in the coat, to cover the pad with a damp duster; the dirt seems to stick to it. This is particularly useful when horses are changing their coats; the hair sticks to the damp cloth, and the old coat is brought out quicker than it otherwise would be. The grooming pads are used in the same way. They are two circles of leather about four or five inches in diameter, joined together with a strip of chamois leather about three inches wide, so as to form a pad or cus.h.i.+on, that is stuffed with tow. On one side a piece of leather or webbing is st.i.tched at each end, sufficiently loose to allow the hand to be slipped under it in the same way as the horse brush. Two of these pads are used, and the skin beaten or ma.s.saged by each hand alternately. Although, perhaps, at first horses are fidgety, when they get used to it they appear to enjoy it; and it has the advantage of letting the owner know, if he is not in sight, that the "syce" is working by the noise he makes.

Hand-rubbing.

If horses are inclined to get filled on swollen legs, the tendons should be well hand-rubbed for five minutes at each grooming hour. This hand-rubbing should commence from the lower portion of the limb and be continued upwards, not in the reverse direction, which is the usual practice. The limb should be lifted up, and the fingers worked with a kneading motion behind the tendons.

Was.h.i.+ng.

The feet, mane and tail are the only parts that should ever be washed, unless specially ordered, and then as seldom as possible. When the feet are washed, great care should be taken that they are carefully dried afterwards, and bandages put on, as leaving the legs wet is one of the chief causes of cracked heels, more especially in the winter months, if there is a dry cold wind blowing. If soap is used, it should be soft-soap; or, better still, the soap nut, or "reita." This is a berry, the sh.e.l.l or outer covering of which, when soaked in water, swells up into a sticky ma.s.s, that lathers like soap, and by natives of India is used for was.h.i.+ng purposes.

Uneven Manes.

When the mane gets ragged and uneven, it should be carefully brushed down four or five times a day with a damp water brush, to make it lie flat. The long hairs on the under side next the neck should be pulled out, so that the mane is thinned, and the lower part lies in a perfect curve along the neck. Some horses object, and are a little troublesome during this process; but, if it is done gradually, it can be easily accomplished. The long hairs in the mane should never be cut, unless it is intended to clip it off altogether, and make it into a "hogged" mane. If the mane will not lie down flat with an even sweep, it can be covered with a cake of mud for four or five days, when it should be removed, and renewed if necessary.

Being dry, it will crack, and the pieces can be easily knocked off, and the dust brushed out. The mud cake generally has the desired effect after having been applied four or five times.

Hogged Manes.

The manes of polo ponies and cobs it is the fas.h.i.+on to "hog," or cut off close to the neck. It is best to leave the forelock, as it gives a certain protection against the flies and glare of the sun; also, to leave a lock of hair on the wither, to grasp with the hand when mounting. The best implement to hog a mane with is a pair of ordinary horse-clippers, but don't use a new pair, or they will get spoiled; old ones that are no use for the rest of the body, do well enough. It is best to sit on the animal's back when the mane is being hogged, and to cut forwards; the hair will be cut much smoother, and a neater job made of it than when standing on the ground at the side.

Ragged Legs.

If the horse is not clipped, the long hairs at the back of the legs look very unsightly. They should be pulled out, not cut off. If a little powdered resin is rubbed on the finger and thumb, the hair will stick to it, and come out much more easily, and the legs will have a smooth, even appearance, which can never be attained if they are cut off with scissors, no matter how carefully this is done; there will always be jagged ridges left. The long hairs under the jowl can be singed off by pa.s.sing a lighted candle under the jaw once or twice. If the horse is at all frightened at the candle, he can be blindfolded; but the operation is so quick, that generally it is all over before he is aware of what is being done. The long hairs on the muzzle and chin can be clipped off with a pair of ordinary scissors. If the horse is not clipped all over, attention to these one or two little details make all the difference in his appearance, and in his being turned out smart, or the reverse.

Tr.i.m.m.i.n.g Tails.

The tail should be grasped close to the root with one hand, which is run down so that the hairs are all gathered together, and a string or tape tied round below the fleshy part at the tip. The tail should then be drawn out straight, and the hair cut off with a single sweep of a sharp knife just below where the string is tied. The blade of the knife must be long enough to give a drawing sweep, which an ordinary pocket-knife will not do. There is nothing better for this than a sharp native sword, or "tulwar," as it is long enough to cut through all the hair at one stroke; or, failing a sword, a sharp carving-knife will do, the longer in the blade the better. Any uneven ends of hair that remain can afterwards be trimmed off with a pair of scissors; or, better still, by a pair of sheep shears. Tail-cutting machines are sold with an arrangement to fix the hair of the tail with a clamp, on which there is a sliding cutting-blade. These cut the hair off very smoothly and evenly; the only drawback is that they are somewhat expensive, costing about Rs. 16 in Calcutta or Bombay.

Clipping.

Arabs and many country-breds carry such fine coats that they do not require clipping, but most Australians and colonials do; and if the coat is at all inclined to get long and thick, it certainly should be taken off, for horse-clothing is so cheap that an extra rug can always be got.

Horses should not be clipped till the coat has "set," _i.e._ till the long winter coat has grown, and no more hairs will come off when the hand is rubbed over the skin. This is generally about the beginning of October in Northern India. They will generally require clipping twice or three times during the winter, or up to the middle of March. There are generally some professional clippers in every station, who bring their own clipping-machines, and charge about two or three rupees for a pony, and an extra rupee for a horse each time; or, if there is not such an individual about, permission can generally be obtained to have it done by any of the cavalry regiments in the station. It should be remembered that horses having just lost their coats will require an extra rug that night.

Cleaning the Sheath.

The owner must himself occasionally see that the horse's sheath is washed out. "Syces" never think this necessary, and the part gets into a filthy, dirty state, that in the summer months is likely to give rise to a troublesome sore, called a "bursattee" ulcer. Some horses are very troublesome to do this with, and it may be necessary to put on a twitch ("kinch mhal"); but this should always be done in the owner's presence.

Light in Stables.

With a new-comer, "syces" usually ask for oil to burn in a native earthenware lamp (charragh) at night, but it is a thing I never allow. In the first place, even if the lamp was kept burning, it is not required; horses rest better in the dark. In the second, it is dangerous with so much inflammable material about. In the third, the lamp will not be used in the stable, but the "syce's" own house. If a light is ever required, which is only on rare occasions, it is better to bring a lantern out of the house; and in India there is always a hurricane-lantern to be found in every house.

Fires in Verandahs.

"Syces" are very fond of lighting fires and making cooking places in the verandah of the stable, but this I never allow, as it litters the place up with cooking pots, and makes a great mess; also, it is dangerous. I always make them carry on their cooking operations in the verandahs of their own houses.

SADDLERY, HARNESS, CARRIAGES, AND SERVANTS.

Saddles (_zin_) and Harness (_saz_).

Saddles, harness, and all leatherwork requires a good deal more care and attention in India than in England, especially during the hot season, when the fierce dry heat will dry up and perish all sorts of leather; and in the rains, especially in Southern India, where the atmosphere is so loaded with moisture that leather, put on one side and neglected for a very few days, soon becomes covered with mildew. There are no saddle rooms in Indian stables, and it is usual to keep them in a corner of a room in the house on a wooden saddle-stand, called by natives a "ghorra" horse. In the rains, a pan or brazier of burning charcoal should be kept in the room for a few hours daily, if there is not a fire-place. Saddles are cleaned in the same way as in England, and excellent saddle soap and dubbing is made by the North-west Province Soap Works at Meerut, and can be obtained almost anywhere. If this is not used, the "syces" can always make up dubbing of their own, called "momrogan." Some people give their head "syce" a monthly allowance to provide dubbing, soap, bathbrick, oil, etc.; but as they frequently put lime and bleaching materials with it, I prefer to buy it myself, and let them get the other articles. They require a chamoise leather and a burnisher for steel-work, but one of each will do for a stable of half a dozen horses, and very good country-made leathers (sabur) can be got for from one to one and a half rupees. The soap is put on to and rubbed into leather-work with the hands; but the great fault they have is that they will put on too much, and won't work it in enough, and one's breeches and hands will get into a great mess.

Saddle Covers (_buk bund_).

A sheet, made out of a description of coa.r.s.e country cloth (karwah), is necessary for each saddle or set of harness, to wrap it up in, and keep the dust and dirt off. It should be sufficiently large to wrap the saddle up in completely, and in the summer the "syce" can bring it with him to act as a horse-cloth to throw over the quarters when standing about.

These saddle-sheets can be made by any tailor in a few hours.

Bridles.