224 THE HORSE. 



sudden, demanding a month for its complete carrying out, which 

 will bring the time on to the beginning or middle of the month of 

 May. A large airy loose box should then be provided, the floor 

 being covered with six inches of tan or sand, and the door being 

 so arranged that in warm weather it may be left open, a chain being 

 drawn across from post to post. Here the horse is left for a few 

 days till he is thoroughly accustomed to his new berth, and his 

 coat is full of dust and scurf, when he may have a dose of physic, 

 and while under its effects his legs may be blistered, or dressed 

 with iodine ointment, or some of the many applications which are 

 used for the purpose of producing absorption of the morbid de- 

 posits which have been thrown out during the winter. 



AFTER THE PHYSIC is SET, green food of some kind may be 

 commenced, consisting of Italian rye grass, young vetches, or 

 lucerne, or, if these cannot be obtained, of ordinary meadow grass. 

 At first an equal quantity of hay must be allowed for old hunters, 

 or the change from dry food to green will produce too great an 

 effect on the bowels. Young and hearty horses will, however, be 

 none the worse for this j and, indeed, when they are turned out, 

 all have to bear the change in its fullest extent. I am not fond 

 of vetches for soiling horses, as they either purge them when they 

 are young, or heat them too much when their seed-pods are fully 

 developed. For working horses the latter condition is especially 

 suited, as they have the effect of beans, and when green food is 

 wanted merely to renovate the stomach without depending on its 

 soiling properties, I see no objection to them. But for hunters 

 when soiled heating food is to be avoided, and on that account I 

 cannot see the advantage of vetches to this kind of horse. As 

 there is no galloping over hard ground the shoes may be removed 

 altogether, and even tips may be dispensed with. The feet should 

 be pared out nicely, the blacksmith removing all broken fragments 

 of horn, and inspecting them afterwards at least once a month. 

 Now is the time to attend to any early symptoms of sand crack, 

 seedy toe, &c., prompt measures at this season often leading to a 

 prevention of these annoying evils. If the horse is not more than 

 ten or twelve years old, his corn may be stopped altogether while 

 he is eating green food in June and July, but a favorite old hunter 

 should be indulged with a couple of quarterns daily, or he will 

 probably lose flesh to a great extent. The young horse is always 

 prone to inflammation, which a cooling treatment will remove, but 

 the old one is more seasoned, and he will get more harm from being 

 lowered in his general system than the benefit to his legs will re- 

 pay. By the month of August all these plans will have co- 

 operated to produce the desired effect; the legs are cool and fine, 

 and the lumps and bumps incidental to the hunting-field have en- 

 tirely disappeared. If they have been very extensive, two or three 



