52 NOTES FOR HUNTING-MEN 



The great thing is to see that the water is boiling. 

 The gruel is then ready to give to the horse 

 Return from ^irectlj lie gets in, as soon as he has staled. 

 hauling j^ -g ^^Qgi; important to see that he does 

 this. Years ago I lost a valuable hunter from 

 uraemic poisoning, through my groom neglecting to 

 do so. 



If a horse is very tired there are few things he 

 seems to like more, or which refresh him more, 

 than having his ears rubbed. He will put down 

 his head to have this operation performed, and hold 

 it there almost any length of time with the utmost 

 satisfaction. He can now have a little chilled 

 water and hay, and whilst munching this can be 

 roughly dried. When this is done, give him a bit 

 of mash, and leave him quiet for ten minutes to 

 eat it. He will not take long finishing after this. 

 As long as he is quite dry and warm, especially in 

 his extremities, it will do. I am no believer in 

 grooming a tired hunter too much. I know I 

 should not like it after a hard day myself, but 

 should pray to be left alone as soon as possible. 

 As soon, then, as you find him quite dry, parti- 

 cularly his legs and ears, he can be rugged up and 

 left, and a feed of dry corn given him. The only 

 time I would not give this is when the horse is very 

 tired, in which case he will probably digest a linseed 

 mash with crushed corn better. 



