PHYSIC, &c. 41 



the increase in food, and length (as well as 

 strength) of exercise, should be very gradual 

 from the setting of the last dose of physic ; 

 as, for instance, the horse should be regularly 

 taken out (if the weather permit) morninir 

 and evening, walking him half an hour be- 

 fore his water, and the same after ; which 

 should be taken at a pond of soft water, in 

 preference to a spring or running stream, if 

 possible. His dressings should be as con- 

 stant and regular as his exercise, which hav- 

 ing been gradually lengthened for the first 

 live or six days, he may then, after walking 

 his usual time, have a moderate gallop (in- 

 creasing it daily in length and speed, accord- 

 ing to state and strength), before he is taken 

 to water, walking him a proper time both 

 before and after ; by no means adopting that 

 most ridiculous, contemptible, and pernicious 

 practice of galloping your horse immediately 

 after, in servile subjection to the illiterate 

 opinion of warming the water in the horse's 

 bellv; a custom that has. throuc>h the i^- 

 norance or folly of servants, proved the ab- 

 solute ruin oimany hundreds, as will be clearly 

 explained in the course of our future re- 

 marks, when we come to speak of broken- 

 winded horses. 



