48 THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS 



them under such disadvantageous circumstances. 

 The common method of treating the hunter that has 

 been at grass has been to bleed him the third or fourth 

 day after he comes to the stable, and about the seventh 

 or eighth to give him his first of a series of three doses 

 of physic. The only remark that I have to offer here 

 is, that the bleeding is not only useless, but improper ; 

 and the waiting seven or eight days for (in the language 

 of grooms) " a little hard meat in him," before he has 

 his first dose, is also equally absurd. As I shall have 

 a good deal to say about physic, and its effects, in 

 another place, I shall only observe that, as physic is 

 to be given at any time, and under any circumstances, 

 with perfect safety, the sooner the hunter has his 

 first dose after he comes into the stable, the better 

 he is enabled to withstand the sudden change from the 

 natural to the artificial state to which we are about 

 to subject him ; and the sooner will his habit of body 

 be prepared for that excitement which his subsequent 

 exercise and change of diet are certain, more or less, 

 to produce. I have seen some of my acquaintance give 

 their hunters physic when at grass, with the hope of 

 preventing their getting too fat ; but their expecta- 

 tions have failed, inasmuch as the aptitude to get 

 flesh always increases after a horse has been well 

 cleansed by physic, as training grooms can more 

 particularly vouch for. If, however, a person does 

 turn his hunters to grass, I see no objection to their 

 giving them physic. It may be the means of forward- 

 ing their condition, by getting sooner into work, 

 when taken up for the season. 



