174 ON HUNTING. 



gave our horses a few carrots the day after hunting, to 

 cool their bodies, or a bran mash or two. They were 

 never coddled up in hoods or half a dozen rugs at night, 

 but a single blanket sufficed, which was never so tight 

 but that you might thrust your hand easily under it. 

 This was a thing I always looked to myself, when pay- 

 ing a visit to the stable the last thing at night. A tried 

 horse should have everything comfortable about him, 

 but carefully avoid any tight bandage round the body. 

 In over-reaches or wounds, warm water was our first ap- 

 plication, and plenty of it, to clean all dirt or grit from 

 the wound ; then Fryer's balsam and brandy with a clean 

 linen bandage. Our usual allowance of com to each 

 horse per diem was four quarterns, but more if they 

 required it, and from 141bs. to 161bs< of hay, eight of 

 which were given at night, at racking-up time, about 

 eight o'clock. Our hours of feeding were about five in 

 the morning, a feed of corn, bruised, with a little hay 

 chaff; the horse then went to exercise. At eight o'clock, 

 4 Ibs. of hay; twelve o'clock, feed of corn; two o'clock, 

 2 Ibs. of hay ; four o'clock, corn ; at six o'clock, another 

 feed of com, with chaff; and at eight o'clock, 8 Ibs. of 

 hay ; water they could always drink when they wanted 

 it." 



I cannot conclude these hints on hunting more 

 appropriately than by quoting another of the songs of 

 the Squire of Arley Hall, Honorary Laureate of the 

 Tarporley Hunt Club : 



" A WORD ERE WE START. 



" The order of march and due regulation 



That guide us in warfare we need in the chase ; 

 Huntsman and whips, each his own proper station 

 Horse, hound, and fox, each his own proper place. 



