184 HORSE AND MAN. 



4 Many of my friends said, " Ah ! you have cer- 

 tainly succeeded with that horse, but then he is light, 

 and must have exceptionally good feet. You could 

 not do the same with a heavy horse, as he would 

 knock his hoofs all to pieces." 



' I therefore, the summer before last, removed 

 the shoes from a sixteen-hand six-year-old horse, 

 well up to sixteen stone, and turned him out. I 

 frequently rasped his feet until the nail -holes dis- 

 appeared, allowing the wall of the hoof to project 

 very little beyond the sole. 



' He ran throughout the summer, but was often 

 otherwise worked, although his feet were not specially 

 hardened for it. For instance, I give three days' 

 work in succession. First day, sixteen miles, ridden 

 fast on the road. Second day, driven seven miles in 

 single harness, drawing five or six people. Third 

 day, ridden twenty-four miles on the road. Through- 

 out the summer I used him whenever I wanted an 

 extra horse. Last winter, I hunted him in his turn 

 with as satisfactory results as those before mentioned 

 with regard to " Prince," and this summer he has 

 been kept in condition, and regularly ridden and 

 driven. 



' In addition to the horse's action being more 

 elastic, and therefore much pleasanter to ride, I con- 

 sider he is safer, and it is obvious that I avoid the 



