Notes on Stable Management in India and the Colonies Part 6

Bridles, double (dahna), snaffle (kazai), can be hung up on the walls, but a piece of cloth or a few sheets of paper should be fastened up behind them; and they should be frequently taken down if not in daily use, as the white ants are most destructive. It is best to have one or two extra saddle-stands made with pegs on them, and to hang the bridles on them in the middle of the room, away from the walls. This may be a little more expensive, but a saddle-stand can be brought for Rs. 5 that will hold a couple of dozen bridles, worth Rs. 20 apiece. At one time plated bits were used in India, but I think steel ones are the best. "Syces" never can tell the difference, and I have more than once found a plated bit being industriously scrubbed and polished with sand.

Harness.

Unless particularly desired, brown harness with bra.s.s mounts is the best--for India, at all events--for pony-harness, and it is this cla.s.s of animal that is generally used in an up-country station. Not one "syce" in a hundred knows how to clean black harness properly, and if this is not done nothing looks worse, whereas almost any native can clean brown leather after a fashion, and even if it does not stand close inspection, it will pa.s.s muster at a little distance. Fairly good brown harness is made out of country leather, and it does well enough for rough work, but it never has the finish of English. Country leather reins and country bits should never be used; they are not reliable, and are most dangerous; these should always be English.

Carriages.

The ordinary two-wheeled pony-trap or dogcart, used in an up-country Indian station, is best varnished, not painted. The hot weather ruins paint, and, unless in some of the very large towns, it is nearly impossible to get them properly repainted again. Any native workman can, however, varnish a trap with white or copal varnish. Before allowing new varnish to be put on, the trap should be produced for inspection with the old sc.r.a.ped off, as it is a favourite trick to daub new varnish over the old, when it cannot properly set, and the first hot sun cracks and blisters it. In the hot weather a large earthen basin, called a "naund,"

should be kept full of water under the carriage in the coach-house; the evaporation of the water will keep the woodwork moist, and prevent its cracking with the heat. A matting made of the fibres of the "khus khus,"

or lemon gra.s.s, should also be put round the nave of the wheel, and kept wet, for the same purpose, as it is exceedingly likely to crack with the heat. The shafts of the trap should not be left resting on the ground, as they will warp and bend; they should be supported either by a wooden trestle, or else by a couple of ropes from the beams of the roof. The whip, when not in use, should be hung by a string at the upper part to a nail in the wall, and a weight, such as a brick, tied to the b.u.t.t end to keep it straight; otherwise, in a very short time, it will get crooked.

Servants.

Indian "syces" are different to English grooms, as the new arrival will soon find. They have peculiar customs of their own, which, like all Orientals, they cling to tenaciously, and will not give up. If they are understood they are easily managed, and work well; but if not, the horse-owner's life is a burden to him, for no European can overcome the pa.s.sive resistance of the Oriental. In the first place, I never let any of the house servants interfere with the stable. Many persons, particularly those new to the country, do everything through their head servant, or "bearer"; but I make him stick to his own work, which is the control of the house and the house servants. I pick out one of the best and sharpest of the "syces," changing him till I get a good man, making him the head or "jemedar syce," and paying him a rupee a month more wages than the rest; and he is responsible for everything connected with the horses, and any small bills I pay to him, and him alone. The wages I pay myself to each man regularly on the seventh of the month, for the month previously. I never lift my hand to a servant, or fine him under any pretext, as the fine will only be made up out of the horse's grain, but, if fault has to be found, I do so in the presence of the head man; on the second occasion a warning is given, and on the third the offender is dismissed on the spot. I always keep a "syce" and a "gra.s.s-cutter" for each horse. It is possible to get a "syce" and two "gra.s.s-cutters" to look after two horses, by paying the "syce" a rupee a month more; but the arrangement is not satisfactory, although many do it. If the "syce" gets ill, which they often do, there is no one to do his work, whereas, if there is a man to each horse, they will arrange the extra work among themselves. In Northern India "syces" and "gra.s.s-cutters" should be provided with warm woollen clothes in the winter. An excellent cloth for the purpose is made by the various woollen mills, and at most of them servant's clothes can be bought ready made up; but it is best to give the men the materials and let them get them made up themselves, otherwise there is certain to be something wrong with them. A "syce's" coat costs about Rs. 4, and a "gra.s.s-cutter's," which is made out of a coa.r.s.e blanketing, Rs. 3; and these coats should last for two winters' wear. In addition, I used to give each man a "coolie" blanket that cost Rs. 3, and which would last three winters; and, if they had to go out much into camp, such as taking horses out to meet me on shooting or pig-sticking expeditions, a pair of woollen leg-bandages, or "putties." It is a mistake not to give servants warm clothes, and a false economy, as, if they are not properly protected against the cold, which is very severe in Northern India, they are everlastingly getting fever; and I know no greater nuisance than having your head man laid up for two or three days at a stretch. In the second place, if they have not warm clothes themselves, you can never tell if in the night they will not take the clothing off the horses to wrap themselves up in. A constant source of squabbling amongst Indian servants is the allotment of their huts or houses. In the older Indian bungalows there is usually enough of both these and stabling, but in the newer ones there is not. It is best, however, not to listen to any such complaints, and somehow the disputants settle the knotty point themselves. Every now and again it is advisable to see who is living in your compound, as a most enormous number of relations will turn up, who are known as brothers (bhai); and if you don't look out, you will find you are giving shelter on your premises to several hundred individuals. Indian servants are always asking leave to attend weddings, funerals, and religious ceremonies; and I always allow them to go, provided some arrangement is made to carry on their work. They are clannish in the extreme, and a subst.i.tute was always forthcoming. In the hills "gra.s.s-cutters" are not required, as gra.s.s can be bought in the bazaars.

The country people look on the sale of this as a vested right, and naturally resent any outsider cutting it or interfering with them; and, if they do, there is pretty certain to be a disturbance and unpleasantness.

If "gra.s.s-cutters" are preferred to purchasing the daily supply, local hillmen should be employed, who will arrange the matter with their neighbours, and not men brought up from the plains of India. In most hill stations pa.s.ses or licences have to be obtained to cut gra.s.s. In every Indian station there is an official price-list of country produce published, and should any dispute arise as to the rates charged, it is as well to obtain it from the native magistrate (tehsildar), whose decision in such matters is usually accepted as final, and which generally saves an immense amount of trouble.

SHOEING.

Shoeing (_nal bundie_).

Shoeing is a subject on which a volume might be written of itself, far beyond the scope of this little work, and for further information on the art I would refer the reader to the treatises by Dr. Flemming and W.

Hunting, Esq.; but as both these deal with European practice, I will only mention a few differences in the art as performed by the native smith, or "nal bund." In most large military stations where there are European troops, permission can generally be obtained to have horses shod at the regimental forge, but in out-of-the-way places the native artist has to be employed. All horses require shoeing at least once a month, and some oftener, as with some the horn grows quicker than others, and the hoof requires to be shortened oftener. In these cases, if the shoe is not worn out at the toe, it can be replaced after the foot is shortened; this is what the English smith calls "a remove," the native "khol bundi." It is advisable after work to lift up the foot and look if the shoes (nal) have shifted or not, also to examine the clench or point of the nail (preg) where it has been turned over, as it sometimes gets turned up and sticks out. If this happens on the inside of the hoof it is likely to cut the opposite fetlock (mawah lagna), and make a bad wound that may leave a permanent scar or blemish. Some horses, from bad formation, move their limbs so closely together that they always rub the fetlock joints when they move. This sometimes can be corrected by what is known as a brushing shoe; but some badly-shaped animals will always do it, no matter what sort of shoe is put on. Various forms of pads or brushing boots are sold to prevent this and protect the part; but, in my opinion, what is known as the Irish boot is the best. It consists of a thick piece of blanket, or "mundah," about six inches wide and the length of the circ.u.mference of the leg. This is fastened round the fetlock with a tape or string so that the ends are in the middle line of the leg behind, the upper half being doubled over the string so that there are two thicknesses to protect the fetlock joint. I have found this far better than the more elaborate contrivances sold; it is cheap--any one can make one in a few minutes--it does not collect mud and dirt like the others do, and it does not become hard like those boots made out of leather, which, unless carefully looked to and kept soft with soap (sabon) or dubbing (momrogan), are liable to cut horses badly. The only care required in putting on the Irish boot is not to tie it too tight, or the tapes may cut the skin. Some pieces of horn hanging loose, that are being cast off from the sole and frog in the natural process of growth, are often seen. These are very likely to collect dirt and moisture, and if they do they should be removed, but otherwise be left alone. They can generally be pulled off with the fingers, a piece of stick, or the hoof-picker. As a rule, in the plains of India the majority of horses do not require shoes on their hind feet, unless the roads are mended with stone, or the climate is very damp and the horn gets soft. In the rainy season, if much work is being done, they perhaps then require shoeing behind, but in the dry season the majority go just as well without. In the hills, where the paths are rocky and stony, horses, of course, require shoeing behind. Unlike the European, the native smith shoes what is called "cold," that is, he has a number of shoes in sizes from which he selects one as near a fit as possible, which he hammers into shape on a small anvil without heating it. Native shoes are generally perfectly plain, _i.e._ flat on both sides, and, unless specially made, are never "seated," _i.e._ sloped on the foot surface, or "bevelled," _i.e._ sloped on the ground surface. As a rule, the nail-holes are what the smith calls too fine, _i.e._ they are too near the outer rim of the iron, and to get a hold the shoe has to be brought back so that the horn projects over the iron. To obviate this the smith removes the toe with the rasp, thus weakening the horn at the very place where it is required to be strong. The shoes are generally somewhat too small also, and to get the nail to take hold they have to be set back in the same way as when the nail-holes are too fine. A native smith, unless he has been shown how, never knows how to turn down the point of the nail after it has been driven through the hoof to form the clench; he never cuts off the superfluous part, but turns it round in a curl with the pincers, and, needless to say, this is exceedingly likely to cause brushing. Another great fault is his fondness of pairing and slicing away the frog and sole, which he will have to be stopped in doing. I have seldom seen a horse p.r.i.c.ked in shoeing by a native, but if left to themselves they never get the bearing true, and as a result corns are of common occurrence. Of course, such light shoes as those of native manufacture have not a great lot of wear in them, and in heavy, holding ground would pull off, but on the hard level plains of India they last well enough, and the native smith, if his faults are known and corrected, is not a bad workman after his own lights.