52 THE HORSE BOOK. 



a germ-infected tenement his legs seldom stay 

 right. Worked freely, intelligently fed, prop- 

 erly groomed and stabled, a stallion will re- 

 main a normal sort of beast. A solitary pris- 

 oner, he generally contracts the habits of mas- 

 turbating, crib-biting or lip-slapping, or his 

 temper may go altogether. And who shall say 

 with truth that the poor brute has been to 

 blame ? 



Exercise and plenty of it the stallion must 

 have. The rational way is to work him. That 

 is far better than walking him along the road. 

 Still, some exercise is better than stagnation on 

 the principle that a small bone is better than 

 none to a hungry dog but some is never 

 enough. It is an abominable chore to walk a 

 stallion along the road for eight miles or so. 

 Few grooms can resist the temptation to sol- 

 dier at such a job. It is better to drive a horse 

 than to lead him, but if he is broken to harness 

 at all he might as well work and so earn his 

 keep. 



Finishing up this matter of exercising stal- 

 lions I believe that every stallion should have 

 some good sharp work every week-day of his 

 life. Drafters should be sharpened up at the 

 trot. Make them step along occasionally as 

 though they amounted to something. Just be- 

 cause a horse is entire is no reason why he 

 should be allowed to loaf. The gait of the 

 drafter is the walk with a heavy load behind 





