This practice as a rule is injurious, because it removes the natural oil from the skin, and predisposes the animal to chill. The application of water to a horse's skin increases the heat-conducting power of his coat (p. 35), and lowers the temperature of the surface by evaporation, and also by conduction (p. 30), in the event of the temperature of the water being colder than that of the skin. Besides, water radiates heat with great facility. Although in hot climates, like that of India, a horse may be washed with impunity, provided that he is quickly dried, I do not think that such a proceeding is safe in temperate or cold countries. Even in the Tropics, washing a horse always takes the gloss off his coat, no matter how vigorously the subsequent grooming may be applied, a fact which is certainly a strong argument against the practice in question. If it is imperative to wash, and there is not sufficient help to have the horse rubbed dry without loss of time, we may, after scraping and going over him with two or three dry rubbers, take him out and exercise him at a brisk pace, until he gets dry by the exercise, in the same manner as boys often dry themselves in the open after having a swim. We should then walk him about until his circulation regains its normal condition before taking him in. If we cannot give this exercise, we may, after scraping and drying him, put on him a good supply of warm-clothing, bandage his legs, and leave him thus to dry under his rugs, which he will do in an hour or less. He should after that be exercised and then well rubbed down, so as to prevent him from becoming chilled. A good plan for getting a horse to dry quickly and safely under clothing, is to cover the animal's back and loins with straw before putting on a rug, so as to utilise the low heat-conducting power of air (p. 32), and to give as little impediment as possible to the escape of moisture.

Water has no power to remove the scales which the outer skin gives off in the form of dandruff; its cleansing effect being confined to sweat, mud, dust and other kinds of adventitious dirt. The practice of washing horses often gives rise to cracked heels and mud fever, which is a form of inflammation of the skin that extends more or less over the legs, and sometimes over the lower surface of the abdomen.

We find from experience that the external application of warm water, especially to the legs, is even more objectionable than that of cold water. This is chiefly due to the fact that warm water more readily removes the oil which keeps the skin soft and pliable, and is more efficient in loosening the layers of scales which serve to protect the true skin from irritation by external influences, than cold water.