THE TROTTING-HOHSE OF AMERICA. 93 



extent, and without oats while the feverish, inflammatory 

 symptoms prevail. Physic is not required, as a general 

 rule ; but cases will arise in which a fevered and an inflam- 

 matory condition may demand the use of a ball, or other 

 light dose of medicine. When the immediate effects of the 

 active treatment by the blister or firing are over, the horse 

 may have a loose box and a lot outside the same, as is rec- 

 ommended for those not fired or blistered, Care must be 

 taken while the blister is on that the horse is securely tied ; 

 for, if not, he may rub and even gnaw the part so as to 

 injure the sinews under treatment. His food should be 

 altogether soft, unless he has engagements in the spring. 

 In that case, he must be given from four to six quarts of 

 oats a day, according to his constitution and the existing 

 state of his system. On the one hand, he must not be suf- 

 fered to get flabby and washy by too much soft food when 

 engaged ; and, on the other, care must be taken that he does 

 not put on flesh and make much internal fat during this 

 time of rest. If the former error is fallen into, he will be 

 unable to stand the work of an early preparation, and will 

 come to the post weakened and with poor wind. If the lat- 

 ter mistake is made, and he is found loaded with too much 

 flesh when taken in hand in the spring, he may be overdone 

 in the getting of it off, and come up to trot in bad heart, 

 sore all over, and deficient in speed. The feed of moderate 

 quantities of oats, with mashes, hay, and some carrots, will 

 commonly answer best. The horse will make flesh then, if 

 he is in health and his stomach has recovered its tone ; but 

 the superfluity resulting from this diet will be more easily 

 got off than that produced by a higher allowance of strong 

 food. There is plenty of room for the exercise of sound 

 judgment in this matter; and the discretion therein should 

 not be left, as it too often is, to some well-meaning but in- 

 experienced person, whose only plan is to give the horse all 

 he will eat of all sorts of feed. 



It is my conviction that flesh can only be got off in the 



