42 THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS 



both fail. No ! it is solely to be attributed to the 

 six, eight, ten, twelve, perhaps fourteen years' hard 

 meat which they have got in them — to that consoli- 

 dation of flesh, that invigoration of muscle, that 

 stimulus to their nature, which this high keep has 

 imparted to them — which give them, as it were, a 

 sort of preternatural power ; inasmuch as but for that 

 stimulus they would never be able to perform more 

 than half of what we see them do. It is true that 

 during the progress of this preternatural state, or what 

 on the road is called the seasoning, many of them lose 

 their eyes, get big legs, etc. ; but this is chiefly owing 

 to no preventive means being taken by their owners, 

 who find it more to their account to let them take 

 their chance of losing an eye, or perhaps both, than to 

 lose their work, from physicking, etc., which cannot 

 be done without rest from their labours. I have, 

 however, no hesitation in saying that a horse, provided 

 he is of a sound, good constitution, may be kept on 

 hard meat, and highly fed, for twenty years, if he live 

 so long, without suffering in his wind, limbs, or eye- 

 sight, if he be well groomed, and what the veterinary 

 surgeons call prophylactic or preventive remedies are 

 properly administered. We all know that, from the 

 great length of the arterial system, horses are subject 

 to inflammatory complaints ; but these complaints 

 are acknowledged either to proceed from atmospheric 

 causes, or to accompany sudden changes of food, 

 temperature, etc., and more commonly attack horses 

 that may be said to be only " half in condition," 

 horses that are ridden about the country, and exposed 



