THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS 31 



groom to look at a hunter that is fit to go, and observe 

 what he says. He wiU first feel his crest, and then, 

 laying his hands flat on his ribs, he will tell you if he 

 likes him. " This horse is well : his flesh feels as if 

 it had been taken off, and well put on again." Now, as 

 before a horse can be in condition his bad flesh must 

 come off him, as certain as the horn at the top of his 

 foot must find its way to the bottom of it, think what 

 time it must take to accomplish this change, if it is 

 to be accomplished, without injury. In proof of 

 what I assert, look at all persons' hunters in the month 

 of March. They are then in condition, just as there 

 is no further occasion for it, and with most of them 

 it is all going to be destroyed by four months' run at 

 grass. Observe to a friend at the beginning of the 

 season, whose horse has been at grass in the summer, 

 that he is not looking well, but is sweating, and all 

 in a lather as he trots along, and he will tell you " it 

 is the month of November — a month so bad for horses 

 — but in a short time he will look as well as any man's 

 horse." What an excuse would this be for Mr Prince 

 or Mr Robson, should they bring a race-horse to the 

 post out of condition at the Houghton Meeting in 

 November ! A horse, if he is a sound one, is to be 

 got into condition by any given period of the year, if 

 time be allowed to do it as it should be done. 



A friend of mine, who has tried the powers of a horse 

 as much as any man could do, has justly observed 

 that " grass is a very good preparation for a bullock 

 for Smithfield market, but a very bad one for a hunter." 

 As for myself, I have long been of opinion that more 



