Hoods with hacks, harness horses, and polo ponies are not often required; but if horses are sensitive to cold, particularly if they are standing out at night, they are no doubt a great protection. They are made up of the same material as the country "jhool," and they also can be got to match the clothing made at any of the woollen mills. In any case it is a good thing to have a spare hood in the stable, even if it is not habitually used, as when a horse begins to cough if at once put on a severe cold is often averted.
Body-rollers are sold in the bazaar shops of native manufacture, but are most flimsy, and I strongly advise that either English ones, or else those made by any of the manufacturers of leather goods at Cawnpore, which are nearly as good as English ones, be used, although they may at first be a little more expensive. The common country rollers are always breaking, and never being properly stuffed, the webbing in the centre of the two pads presses on the ridge of the spine when the roller is buckled up. There is no more fruitful cause of sore backs than this, especially if horses are at all thin and standing out in the open. "Syces" have a trick of pulling up the straps of the roller as tight as possible, and if it gets wet with the dew or rain it shrinks up, and the tight webbing cuts and pinches the skin over the backbone, causing a sore back. With a properly made roller the pressure is taken on the sides of the back by the two pads, and the webbing does not come in contact with the skin at all. In any case, if the horses are standing out in the open at night, it is always advisable to go round the last thing and let the roller out a hole or two. If country rollers are used, direct pressure of the webbing on the spine can be taken off by putting a folded up duster or a handful of straw under it. If the back has been pinched or rubbed the roller should be left off, and the blankets or clothing kept in their place by a couple of tapes or pieces of string stitched to the edge of each and tied under the body.
Woollen bandages on the legs greatly add to the horse's comfort when standing out on a cold night. The ordinary ones sold in the bazaar answer well enough, only they are generally a little too wide and not long enough. The bandage should be put on commencing from below and finishing under the knee or hock, and not in the reverse direction, commencing above, as is often done. The tapes should be tied in a bow outside. What is known as the Newmarket bandage, made out of a semi-elastic woollen material, is an excellent one. It stretches somewhat when put on the leg, and gives it support. They, however, are somewhat expensive--about Rs. 4 a set--but with ordinary care will outlast several pairs of country ones. A good bandage is made by the Muir Mills Company at Cawnpore out of the cotton webbing called "newar"; they are very cheap and good, but are not so warm as the cotton ones.