PREPARATION FOR FAST WORK. 305 



*emovable only by slow degrees. Purgation, sweating, and 

 other evacuants, take it away. In a third case, the size of 

 the carcass depends partly upon the intestinal contents, and 

 partly upon the accumulation of fat. 



When the belly is very large, from either or both of these 

 causes, the horse cannot breathe freely. He can not expand 

 the chest, the contents of the belly offer a mechanical obstacle 

 to the elongation of this cavity ; and, as a necessary con- 

 sequence, sufficient air can not be taken in to purify sufficient 

 blood. But the weight of the fat, or of the food, is of itself a 

 great burden, and would tell seriously against the horse in 

 protracted exertion, even though it were placed on his back. 



The trainer should know when the carcass is sufficiently 

 lightened. He judges by the horse's wind. When that is 

 equal to the work, further reduction in the size of the belly 

 may not be necessary. Hence, for some kinds of work, it 

 need not be so much lightened as for some others. Without 

 inconvenience the hunter may have a larger belly than the 

 racer, and the stage-coach horse larger than either. Hunters 

 and racers should have a straight carcass, not at all pro- 

 tuberant, and seldom much tucked up ; but it is often very 

 difficult or impossible to put a straight carcass upon flat-sided 

 horses. 



After the carcass is sufficiently lightened, it is to be kept 

 within the prescribed limits by avoiding idleness and bulky 

 food. The work or exercise must be such as to prevent the 

 re-formation of fat, and the food such as to furnish the requir- 

 ed quantity of nourishment without occupying too much room. 

 Fast-working horses are kept on a limited allowance of fod- 

 der, and the usual allowance is further reduced on the day 

 preceding extraordinary exertion. This precaution, however 

 is requisite only with great eaters, or gluttons, as they have 

 been termed, employed at hunting or racing. 



In former times the grooms had a strange mode of redu- 

 cing the belly. They bound a strong and very broad roller 

 round it, drew it as tight as a woman's corsets, and compelled 

 the horse to stand in it night and day. This absurd practice 

 is now out of fashion. Those who know their business know 

 that it will not produce the desired effect. But it is not un- 

 common, even yet, to find a broad surcingle applied as tightly 

 as it can be drawn, for the purpose, as they say, of drawing 

 up the belly. I have seen a good groom do this. It is a 

 mark of ignorance. The roller which was formerly used 

 might possibly have some effect, for it went over the belly : 



26* 



