THE IMPROVED ART OF FARRIERY. 297 



stroke, that he will be fit to put to moderate 

 hunting. 



In order to strengthen a hunter, when subject to 

 violent and frequent exercise, some recommend to give 

 some old split beans at every feeding with oats ; and 

 others think the crumbs of bread made of beans and 

 wheat-flour, and given once a-day, an excellent method 

 for preserving the appetite. The day before the horse 

 is to hunt, it will be found much better to give a little 

 bread with the oats than beans, which are rather hard 

 of digestion. 



Training for the Course. 



Much ignorance and prejudice prevails on the sub- 

 ject of training for the course ; and many a good horse 

 has been killed or beaten in consequence of the absurd 

 practices too frequently adopted. Old and foolish 

 opinions are now in a great measure exploded ; yet 

 most people think it absolutely necessary to prepare 

 horses for the field by the administration of these 

 strong purges. 



' There seems,' says a late writer, * to be some magic 

 attached to the number three, for the animal is always 

 condemned to swallow a third dose, even though the 

 two first may have operated within an inch of his life, 

 and have left him in such a state of exhaustion and 

 debility as would require a considerable time to over- 

 come. Undoubtedly there are many cases where 

 purging is indispensably necessary to get a horse into 

 condition ; but on the other hand it is equally true, 

 that there are thousands of horses which undergo con- 

 stant and severe labour, without any preparation of the 

 kind whatever ; and there are no racers nor hunters 



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