OF FARRIERY. 



25 



Should the Horse's work be so moderate as 

 not to occasion a sweat, I think it beneficial, 

 about twice a week, to give exercise strong 

 enough to sweat him ; this may be done in 

 the pace he is mostly rode in, that he may be 

 practised and improved in it ; if he be admired 

 for his trot, it would be wrong to gallop him, 

 which might unsettle him in his esteemed 

 pace, therefore, trot him out for the space of 

 two miles to bring him to a comfortable sweat, 

 and walk him back ; thus, you extend his 

 limbs, supple his muscles, and strengthen his 

 ligaments and tendons ; for we know not our 

 strength, unless we are put to it; inactivity 

 debilitates, and over exertion may sprain and 

 weaken, but moderate exertion is good both 

 for man and beast. 



Sweating of Horses occasions considerable 

 labour to clean, and indolent grooms, and those 

 who have several Horses to look after, avoid 

 this part of their business as much as possible : 

 some would persuade you, there was no neces- 

 sity for it, but reason and experience teach us 

 otherwise. 



When a Horse comes in from work or exer- 

 cise, if in a sweat, or wet and dirty with 

 sloppy roads and rain, they should not be left 

 until made completely dry, clean, and comfort- 

 able : some Horses, in good condition, will rub 

 dry and clean in a short time, but others, with 

 long and curly coats, and some from constitution 

 or ill condition are a long time getting dry ; 

 hence, of late years, clipping has been intro- 

 duced ; but this I am decidedly opposed to, as 

 it is to be prevented altogether by good 

 grooming ; besides, dipt Horses are apt so 

 frequently to take cold, if hunters, especially 

 of a slack day. 1 have known an industrious 

 groom to work at a Horse for four hours, and 

 noc leave him until perfectly dry, while others 



will cover them with a cloth, and leave them 

 to dry, before they will clean them*. Much 

 depends on the habit the Horse has been used 

 to, constitution, condition, &c., whether the 

 Horse will take injury from being left in his 

 wet and dirt ; but those Horses that have been 

 properly groomed, having all care taken of 

 them to keep their coats fine, and on all occa- 

 sions made dry and comfortable, would be 

 liable to take cold, which might be the fore- 

 runner of other diseases, if neglected at these 

 times. 



PHYSICKING AND BLEEDING. 



Some persons are fond of physicking or 

 bleeding their Horses, when there is no ap- 

 parent cause or reason for it. Grooms, in 

 general, take upon themselves to bleed and 

 physic at their own discretion ; it is therefore 

 necessary to assign some reason, and to shew 

 when, and for what purpose, such methods 

 are to be pursued. It is best to pursue such 

 methods as to preclude the necessity of either ; 

 for, with proper feeding, exercising, and groom- 

 ing, there will seldom be occasion for physic, 

 but sloth or idleness is the parent of disease ; 

 and thus it happens with Horses, when they 

 are well fed, and have little or no work (Horses 

 not being intended to stand in a stall, and 

 fatten -ike a bullock), the blood-vessels get 

 filled, and overcharged, and a partial stagna- 



* My old friend, Jeremiah Hawkins, Esq., of the Haw, in 

 Gloucestershire, and, I beheve, the oldest member of the 

 Berkeley Hunt, has a brown Horse, which he has ridden to 

 my Lord Seagrave's hounds about twenty-six years, and 

 always keeps him turned out winter and summer; and on 

 coming home, after ever so hard a day's sport, the old 

 fellow, after he has had a feed of corn, is immediately 

 turned out. I think, if I remember right, he is called Old 

 George. 



