THE ADVENTURES OF A GENTLEMAN, ETC. 183 



treatment. If however he keeps two horses, he 

 will undoubtedly find that he can maintain them 

 both for less than three-fourths of the charge of 

 sending them to livery, provided that he has stabling 

 attached to his house, and a man-servant to his 

 establishment. In many cases, however, the ques- 

 tion of economy does not occur ; and though gentle- 

 men who keep their studs systematically, are not 

 likely to be among my readers, yet if perchance 

 these pages should meet their eyes, they may find 

 some useful hints as to that very important, though 

 neglected point, the construction of their stables. 



A horse, in his educated state, is by no means a 

 hardy animal. Many, perhaps most of his numerous 

 diseases, spring from a neglect of those precautions 

 which are required by the artificial character of his 

 life : the abridgment of his active days is alone suf- 

 ficient proof of this. Many horses live to twenty or 

 five-and-twenty, but not one in a hundred is fit for 

 real labor after thirteen. That this arises partly 

 from their being prematurely brought to work, is 

 certainly true ; but it is equally true that this pre- 

 mature exertion is as injurious indirectly as it is 

 directly. To prepare them for it, they are brought 



