i88 THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS 



administering which considerable judgment is neces- 

 sary, in a stable of hunters of all ages, sizes, and con- 

 stitutions. Every man at all acquainted with anatomy 

 will tell us, that when the stomach and intestines are 

 filled with water, the viscera press against the dia- 

 phragm, by which means the lungs are impeded in 

 their functions, and temporary suffocation takes place 

 when the animal is put to quick work. Indeed it 

 was the old and generally well-received opinion, that, 

 by galloping horses up hills in this state, the air 

 vessels of their lungs were ruptured, and broken wind 

 was the consequence. 



As water is the only diluent a horse takes, a certain 

 quantity is of course essential to his existence ; but 

 to such as are not clear in their wind — from whatever 

 cause it my arise — no more than what is sufficient to 

 promote digestion should be given on the day before 

 hunting, and none after three in the afternoon. A 

 very small portion of hay should also be given them, and 

 the setting muzzle put on at night. 



They who are so unfortunate as to possess finely- 

 formed horses, with all the accomplishments of a hunter, 

 excepting clear wind (and how often do we meet with 

 such horses !), will find the greatest advantage in 

 attending minutely to these particulars. Such horses 

 should likewise be always kept internally clean by 

 physic, as their desire for water will be thereby 

 diminished, and they should never be more than six 

 weeks or two months without some evacuating 

 medicine ; neither should they in the hunting season 

 be ever five days without a sweat. The cure here. 



