OF FARRIERY. 



451 



with the assistance of only one person to hold 

 her Horse, steps or a chair are requisite. If 

 there he not this convenience, a lady springs 

 from her seat, and should her pad, which is 

 so often the case, be upwards of fifteen hands 

 in height, she has a good jump to make, and 

 may sometimes meet with a strained ankle, as 

 the consequence. Having an assistant, the 

 lady gives him her left hand, supporting her- 

 self by that hold, and by the crutch of the 

 saddle with the other as she alights. Her 

 preliminary act, however, is gently to change 

 her whip from the right to the left or bridle 

 hand, leaving its end to hang down the 

 Horse's near shoulder, hanging the reins upon 

 the upright horn of the saddle, on which also 

 she rests her right hand ; l.er garments clear 

 of giving any obstruction, she may then, turn- 

 ing a little to the right, make her spring 

 towards the assistant, who is ready to break 

 her fall. She should be careful on quitting 

 her stirrup, to keep her knee upon the crutch, 

 as a security in case of the Horse starting. It 

 must be needless to mention, that a gentle- 

 man who attends a ladj on horseback, rides 

 on her near side ; and that it is one of his first 

 duties, ever to keep himself between the lady 

 and any carriages or horsemen that may be 

 met with. 



FEEDING AND MANAGEMENT ON THE ROAD. 



A good hack will perform fifty or sixty 

 miles a day with ease ; but for long continued 

 journeys, thirty to forty miles a day is as 

 much as can be required. Let no man expect 

 great performance, unless his Horse be full of 

 hard meat, and in condition. Should a man 

 be forced to ride a Horse a journey with his 

 full burden of grass-flesli upon him, he must 

 at first ride him moderately, and by virtue of 



good solid corn-feeds, he will in a month 

 attain condition. 



Many persons ride long stages, for example, 

 thirty or forty miles without feeding ; but it is 

 inconsiderate, and is injurious to the Horse. 

 Moderate feeds at the different stages, and an 

 ample one at the last, are most beneficial ; a 

 quartern of oats, with a handful or two of 

 beans, are sufficient quantities during the day ; 

 at night, half a peck of oats and a few hands- 

 ful of beans ; so that a hack upon a journey 

 of considerable length, may be allowed from a 

 peck and a quarter, to a peck and a half of 

 oats. Hasty travellers will yet find an advan- 

 tage in starting at a very moderate pace, and 

 in finishing the last three miles of a stage, 

 especially in hot weather, as leisurely as their 

 haste will admit, since by such means, they 

 will save time ; as their Horses, on reaching 

 the inn, will be the sooner dry, and ready to 

 feed. On the road, the Horse may be in- 

 dulged, every eight or ten miles, if he require 

 it, with a few go-downs of water ; and in hot 

 weather, over hard roads, and with fast tra- 

 velling, when the shoes acquire a burning 

 heat, it is most refreshing to the Horse, to ride 

 him over his pasterns, momentarily, through 

 any water that may be accessible. But a 

 caution of much moment must have place 

 here ; be the weather hot or cold, a Horse in 

 a state of perspiration should never be kept 

 standing any length of time in water. 



In fast travelling, every Horseman of com 

 mon sense, will ease his hack up the hills ; in 

 going down also, if he values his own neck 

 and his Horse's knees, he will do the same. 



We recollect meeting in the travellers' 

 room, at an inn in Birmingham, a respectable 

 butcher, who kept some good Horses. He 

 had a facaous mare who carried him frore 



