SOILING. 275 
the horse is gradually cooled down, either by removing his clothing in the 
stable, and letting him first stand there naked for two or three weeks, or 
by putting him with it on into a moderately warm loose box, and after he 
has been there a day or two taking it away by degrees. At the same time 
he is deprived of his corn, and fed upon hay only; but this change also 
must not be too sudden, demanding a month for its complete carrying out, 
which will bring the time on to the beginning or middle of the month of 
May. A large airy loose box should then be provided, the floor being. covered 
with six inches of tan or sand, and the door being so arranged that in warm 
weather it may be left open, a chain being drawn across from post to post. 
Here the horse is left for a few days till he is thoroughly accustomed to 
his new berth, and his coat is full of dust and scurf, when he may have a 
dose of physic, and while under its effects, his legs may be blistered, or 
dressed with iodine ointment, or some of the many applications which are 
used for the purpose of producing absorption of the morbid deposits which 
have been thrown out during the winter. After the physic is set, green 
food of some kind may be commenced, consisting of Italian rye grass, 
young vetches, or lucerne, or, if these cannot be obtained, of ordinary 
meadow grass. At first an equal quantity of hay must be allowed for old 
hunters, or the change from dry food to green will produce too great an 
effect on the bowels. Young and hearty horses will, however, be none the 
worse for this; and, indeed, when they are turned out, all have to bear the 
change in its fullest extent. Iam not fond of vetches for soiling horses, 
as they either purge them when they are young, or heat them too much 
when their seed-pods are fully developed. For working horses the latter 
condition is especially suited, as they have the effect of beans, and when 
green food is wanted merely to renovate the stomach without depending 
on its soiling properties, I see no objection to them. But for hunters when 
soiled heating food is to be avoided, and on that account I cannot see the 
advantage of vetches to this kind of horse. As there is no galloping over 
hard ground the shoes may be removed altogether, and even tips may be 
dispensed with. The feet should be pared out nicely, the blacksmith re- 
moving all broken fragments of horn, and inspecting them afterwards at 
least once a month. Now is the time to attend to any early symptoms of sand 
erack, seedy toe, &c., prompt measures at this season otten leading to a 
prevention of these annoying evils. If the horse is not more than ten or 
twelve years old, his corn may be stopped altogether while he is eating 
green food in June and July, but a favourite old hunter should be indulged 
with a couple of quarterns daily, or he will probably lose flesh to a great 
extent. The young horse is always prone to inflammation, which a cooling 
treatment will remove, but the old one is more seasoned, and he will get 
more harm from being lowered in his general system than the benefit to 
his legs will repay. By the month of August all these plans will have co- 
operated to produce the desired effect; the legs are cool and fine, and the 
lumps and bumps incidental to the hunting-field have entirely disappeared. 
If they have been very extensive, two or three doses of physie should. 
have been given, but in general one dose as ordered at the beginning of 
the soiling, and another at the end, when the commencement of training 
takes its turn, will be sufficient. I have now brought the horse to the 
middle of the month of August, at which time the preparation for work, 
described at page 261, et sequitur, must be commenced in earnest. 
TURNING OUT TO GRASS, OR PASTURING, demands some little attention, 
which however horses seldom receive. Extepting in the height of sum- 
mer it is a very dangerous practice to turn a previously warmly clothed 
TZ 
