256 THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS 



I did not think I had had a dozen horses fired in the 

 course of my Hfe. I certainly have had wonderful 

 luck with the legs of my hunters, and I attribute it 

 to causes which I must not now stop to describe : 

 but among the chief are, the frequent use I make of 

 alteratives — keeping away general as well as local 

 inflammation (the principal causes of almost all 

 disease) ; also never hurrying my horses in their work 

 when first getting into condition (the late Sam 

 Chifney was of opinion that there was as much art 

 in training horses' legs to stand work, as in training 

 their bodies to run) ; the frequent use of bandages, 

 and a loose place after work ; and, lastly, the absolute 

 rest I give them in the early part of the summer, 

 which enables the limbs to regain their almost primi- 

 tive tone and vigour. There are cases which I shall 

 hereafter speak of, in which firing, however skilfully 

 performed, is of no avail ; but in justice to the opera- 

 tion, or rather to the necessity for it — for it is a sharp 

 one — I have no scruple in saying that, when properly 

 executed (but the task is frequently difficult), it suc- 

 ceeds much oftener than it fails. It so happens that 

 I have two horses in my possession now that I have 

 fired since I have possessed them ; one because the 

 sinews were about to give way, and the other because 

 the legs always filled after a hard day, with occasional 

 symptoms of lameness — all of which symptoms have 

 since disappeared ; and in the other case the operation 

 completely succeeded. Nevertheless, when it can 

 be avoided it should never be had recourse to ; and 

 the present system of mercurial charges, applied in 



