228 THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS 



some means or other, to be in health, he must have a 

 short coat, which will enable the perspired matter 

 to escape." 



With reference to clipping, or to short natural coats, 

 it may not be amiss to observe that Mr Percivall 

 speaks of horses in certain climates that are hairless ; 

 and it appears that Mr Sewell,^ in the course of his 

 visit to the Continental veterinary schools, met with, 

 at Berlin, " a preparation of the skin of an African 

 horse, which had not the slightest appearance of a 

 single hair upon it." 



I now beg leave to offer my sentiments on the 

 operation of clipping the hunter in a few words. / 

 would recommend every horse to he clipped if turned 

 out to grass in the summer, as affording the only possible 

 chance of getting him into condition for hunting till 

 hunting is almost over ; and I would clip every horse 

 on which I could not get a good coat by any other means ; 

 but I should much prefer a natural short coat, close in 

 its texture, glossy to the eye, a little unctuous or oily to 

 the touch, and quite free from curl or scurf. I should 

 then, and only then, be sure that my horse was well. 



I should enter more upon the benefits resulting 

 from this practice had they not been so clearly 

 defined by a master-hand under the signature of 

 Equestris. This writer says : " I must own myself 

 a very decided advocate for the clipping of hunters, 

 having observed such horses to have had a most 



the opinion that a hunter cannot be got into condition without 

 the use of alteratives. 



^ This was the late Professor Sewell. 



