96 EQUITATION AND HORSE TRAINING. 



work him two days and let him rest the third day. Ilia work must 

 last at least two hours; at first, one hour at a walk on soft or heavy 

 ground, preferably over ploughed ground, then a moderate but con- 

 tinuous trot over ground that is not too hard, for at least 3 miles; then 

 at least a half hour at a walk. Continue this work for six weeks — that 

 is, till about the 15th of July. Then increase the length of time at the 

 trot and begin to trot in place of walking in the work in the open field, 

 but never push the horse into the rapid gaits. Continue this until 

 about the 15th of August. The muscles of your horse will already 

 begin to grow harder and firmer; they will be stronger and his endur- 

 ance and wind will be improved. Begin to increase the speed at 

 which he works and then, if he is still too fat, you may give him another 

 purge. A few days later you may increase his oats a little, up to 14 

 or 16 quarts, depending upon the temperament of the horse. The 

 work is then increased by a gallop over plowed ground, always fol- 

 lowing a progressive course, beginning with a short and rapid gallop, 

 and ending, on the 15th of September, with a good gallop at hunting 

 speed for 5 or 6 miles. If the horse is still too fat, if the muscles of the 

 neck, loins, and thighs do not stand out well, if he perspires too freely, 

 if the sweat is a white lather and not a colorless fluid, give him two or 

 three gallops under blankets, covering well the parts you wish to 

 lighten. For instance, if the neck is too heavy, too flabby, put on 

 one or two hoods. If, on the contrary, he has too large a belly, put on 

 two or three blankets. Naturally you should always finish at a walk 

 and see that there is a very good grooming when you come in. Put 

 on good flannel bandages after careful hand rubbing of the legs. 



By following this course of preparation, your horse should begin to 

 be in condition toward the end of September. He is far from being 

 entirely ready, but he may begin to hunt without much fear of injury. 

 By this time he has started to shed and is beginning to suffer from the 

 action going on inside of him, which takes away part of his strength 

 and exhausts him. Redouble your care by covering him carefully 

 80 that the heat may hasten the shedding, and above all give him 

 abundant and substantial feed. Accordingly, from the 15th of Sep- 

 tember to the 15th of Otober, I recommend a feed of beans every day 

 (2 quarts soaked in three different waters) and put iron, nails, horse- 

 shoes, etc., in his drinking water. All this gives him strength to 

 support the work going on inside of him, for it is very important that 

 the shedding and sweating in October should not put him out of con- 

 dition. If it does, you will not be able to get him back in condition 

 again the rest of the winter, and in January he will be completely run 

 down. Consequently it is from the 20th of September to about the 

 15th of November that you should feed a hunter the most. 



