190 HORSE AND MAN. 



he could, taking any horses on which he could lay 

 his hands. That most trying march lay over all 

 kinds of soils, and in order to enable the hoofs of 

 the horses on which so much depended to endure 

 such an ordeal, he laid down the following rules : — 



'To prevent stable floors from being smooth, they 

 should have stones similar to a horse's hoofs in size 

 inserted in the ground, for such stable floors give 

 firmness to the feet of horses that stand on them. 



* The groom must also lead the horse out of the 

 stable to the place where he is to comb him ; and 

 he should be tied away from the manger after his 

 morning's feed, that he may come to his evening's 

 meal with the greater appetite. 



' The ground outside the stable may be put into 

 excellent condition, and serve to strengthen the 

 horse's feet, if a man lays down here and there four 

 or five loads of round stones, each large enough to 

 fill the two hands, and weighing about a pound, 

 surrounding them with an iron rim, so that they 

 may not be scattered. For, as the horse stands on 

 these, he will be in much the same condition as if he 

 were to travel part of every day on a stony road. 



' A horse must also move his hoofs while he is 

 being rubbed down, or when he is annoyed with 

 flies, as much as when he is walking, and the stones 

 which are thus spread about strengthen the frog 



