HARD MEAT VERSUS GRASS 115 



In my rides about the country in the month of May 

 1823, I met two other hunters on their road to grass 

 for the summer. I asked the servant who was leading 

 them whither he was taking them ? He answered, 

 to a tenant of his master's, who always summered 

 them for him in his meadows. "Is it not a pity," 

 said I, "to turn them out now they are in such a 



fine condition, and their legs appear so good ? " " Oh, 



no," said the man, " it will do them a deal of good." 

 — " Are you quite well in health ? " said I. Not 

 knowing the drift of my question, John smiled, but 

 made no reply. " Have you any bodily complaint ? " 

 — " None, Sir," was his reply. " Would you wish 

 to be better than you are ? " He said he should not, 

 " Then," replied I, " you should have persuaded your 

 master to have kept his horses at home, which would 

 have saved you and him a great deal of trouble between 

 this and Christmas." 



In corroboration of the hard-meat system, I was 

 particularly struck with an observation of the Earl 

 of Darlington, respecting the horses of some officers 

 of a light dragoon regiment who hunted with his 

 hounds in the Raby country. " I know not how it is," 

 said his Lordship, " but no expense or trouble is spared 

 with my hunters, and my stables are excellent ; but 

 none of them look like these officers' horses." Now, 

 as far as my experience has led me, I have never had 

 reason to think that officers' horses in general were 

 well groomed. On the contrary, their being called 

 upon at all hours, and the almost constant access to 

 barrack stables, must be much against them ; but 



