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“Well, yes,” said Léof, “and you could do that if drying them off was the only goal. But horses also have to be cooled down after exercise – especially strenuous exercise, like traveling. It’s like warming a horse up before exercise – you can’t push them straight into a gallop, you have to warm them up. This is just the opposite.”
He glanced over at Javan to see if he had any more questions. He appeared to be thinking this new information over. Quite honestly, Léof was surprised at all the questions; Javan had seemed more familiar with a stable than he was now proving. Still, if Javan was willing to learn, Léof didn’t mind teaching him. He would just have to keep a closer eye on Javan than he had first assumed – at least for these first several days, until he felt comfortable that Javan knew what he was doing and would not be a danger to himself or the horses.
“Also,” Léof added, “cooling them down like this lets you watch for any limping, to make sure the horses didn’t injure themselves while they were being ridden.”
“So how long do we have to do this? Just until they’re dry?”
“Pretty much. You can also check their legs and right here under their necks to make sure they’re cool. It doesn't take that long, really.”
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