COMING HOME. 349 



horse quietly led about, and then ride him home at a 

 walk. If she is using a second horse, it is always wise 

 to get her second horseman to take the saddle off her 

 first horse and rub his back well with the hand, 

 especially at the off side of the withers and of the 

 back, under the cantle, in order to restore the circula- 

 tion of the part before taking him home. The animal 

 ought to be given an opportunity of refreshing himself 

 by drinking at a brook or trough on his homeward 

 way. No harm can arise from a horse drinking cold 

 water when at work, however hot he may be, if his 

 exercise be continued at a slow pace for a short time. 



A lady's hunter should always be examined, if 

 possible by his mistress, or by one of the male 

 members of her family, on his return from a day 

 with the hounds, and his back and legs should 

 receive special attention. The chief accidents which 

 are liable to happen by such work, are sprains of 

 tendons and ligaments below the knees, over-reaches, 

 cuts, punctures from thorns, and injuries from the 

 saddle. It is not within the province of this book to 

 deal with such subjects, and few ladies would go 

 through the bother of studying them. Nevertheless, 

 there are some exceptions, as we may see by the 

 comparatively large number of lady doctors, and by 

 the fact that only the narrow-minded policy of the 

 Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons prevented Miss 

 Custance, who had studied at the Edinburgh New 

 Veterinary College, from obtaining her diploma, to 

 which she was fully entitled by her scientific attain- 



