32 THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS 



hunters are ruined by being turned out to grass than 

 persons are generally aware of ; and when I see one 

 in blooming condition going to be turned out for the 

 summer, I always think that it is almost even betting 

 that he never is in condition again. When I first set 

 out in life, hunters were turned out under circumstances 

 still more unfavourable than they are at present. 

 They were not even physicked ; but, as soon as hunt- 

 ing was over, their clothes were stripped off, and after 

 being turned out for an hour or two for a few times in 

 the middle of the day, to prepare them for the change, 

 they were sent to take their chance — perhaps on some 

 strong feeding land — to meet the young grass, as it 

 was called, and there to remain until about the 12th 

 of the succeeding August. This was done under the 

 false impression that spring grass purges horses ; 

 whereas it has been clearly proved that if a horse goes 

 out to grass foul, he comes up from it still more foul. 

 The load of bad flesh he acquires in this state may be 

 termed a sort of " oleaginous dropsy," the effect of 

 a general atony of the absorbents, created by the 

 immense quantity of succulent food he devours, and 

 by the sudden stop put to the evacuations by sweating 

 and other means resorted to when in regular work. 

 In later times horses have had the advantage of being 

 cleansed by physic before they are turned out ; but 

 even this cannot prevent the evils attending the prac- 

 tice of giving a hunter what is called " a summer's 

 run at grass." To say nothing of the accidents they 

 are subject to when turned out at large — as most 

 diseases of horses arise from plethora — their being 



