OF FARRIERY. 



gallop according to the strength or condition 

 of the Horse ; if he is faint, so as to sweat 

 toon, stop in, time, and walk him, that he may 

 recover his breath, and cool himself; for you 

 must not put him in a thorough sweat ; but 

 on those days which you appoint for that pur- 

 pose, which should be about twice a week, 

 till he commences hunting, and then he will 

 not require any sweating in exercise. In 

 this manner, alternately walk and gallop, so 

 as not to sweat the Horse till you find it time 

 to return, which you should so manage as to 

 keep the Horse out about two hours ; and 

 after the conclusion of the last gallop, the 

 Horse having recovered his breath, and is 

 cool, you should contrive to have water at 

 hand to let him drink, and then have half an 

 hour's walk home. If the water should chill 

 him, and make his coat stare, a gentle gallop 

 to warm him will be proper, but not to siveat 

 him. 



Horses are most fond of staleing on litter, as 

 it does not then splash them ; and if the wet 

 litter was spread in a convenient place, with- 

 out the stable (some yards are thus purposely 

 strewed), the Horses standing a minute or two 

 before they are put in the stable, or during the 

 time the groom dismounts, will stale, by which 

 means you keep your stable clean and healthy. 

 When put in the stable, a bit of hay should be 

 given, that has been well shaken from dust 

 and seeds. The quality of hay for hunters 

 should be the choicest that can be procured, 

 grown on a rich meadow, and cut before it 

 gets too ripe ; for hay, when it stands too long 

 before it is cut, may answer the farmer's pur- 

 pose by seeding his ground, and wanting less 

 making ; but to be good for a Horse, and es- 

 pecially the hunter, it should be cut when 

 young, before it seeds, and with the sap in ; 



then, if it is well made, and got in, in the dry. 

 it will, fourteen months after, cut out as green 

 as a leek, and the flowers retain their beauty 

 nearly as when growing, and hay will never 

 be better than when twelve or fourteen 

 months old : but such hay as the above is not 

 always to be procured ; yet hay off good 

 meadows, that has not been heated too much 

 in the stack, may be purchased more fre- 

 quently ; and, indeed, I have heard some ex- 

 perienced followers of the chase say, that they 

 admired it a little brown ; but, I think, if it be 

 twelve months old, having a fragrant sweet 

 smell, it cannot be too green. New hay must 

 not, on any account, be given, there is a faint- 

 ness in new hay that w^ould be as detrimental 

 as giving him grass ; that is to say, if you 

 mean to keep your Horse in good hunting con- 

 dition. 



Having put your Horse to the rack-rein 

 with a bit of hay before him, go on your knees 

 and whisp his legs, for the legs are always to 

 be the first and last things attended to, and 

 particularly after physic ; then strip his cloth- 

 ing half off , that is, to about the middle of the 

 back, then give the fore quarters a good 

 thorough dressing. This being done, get your 

 dry clothing, and place on the parts cleaned, 

 slip off your exercising cloths, and dress well 

 his hind quarters : this being done, remove 

 your clothing from his fore quarters, and brush 

 him well over, agreeably to the manner I have 

 before directed ; after which, give his feed of 

 oats, being double the quantity, or nearly so, 

 to what you gave before going out ; then having 

 whisped his legs as the last thing, shake up 

 his litter, set the stable fair, if he has cleaned 

 the rack of the hay (for I aKvays recommend 

 to give but little at a time, that he may eat it 

 with better appetite), vou may now give a bit 



