62 ENGLISH HORSES 



worn as thin as a sixpence, nor is there a shoe 

 cast in this high-class stable, presided over by an 

 ever-watchful groom who takes a pride in his 

 work ; for if it does not pay to turn out horses 

 really well, it cannot pay any better to try to 

 economise by neglecting them in such a manner 

 that they are incapable of doing their work and 

 deteriorate in value. 



Sending for a vet because of previous neglect 

 is little short of culpable mismanagement. 



Dirt and foul smells are so obviously noticeable 

 that there can be no excuse for an owner to 

 overlook them. Directly they are observed they 

 should not be passed over. If the groom, who is 

 responsible for them, refuses to reform, then give 

 him notice and get another who will pay attention 

 to his master's orders. 



Draw up a list of stable duties and see they 

 are executed at the times which are laid down, 

 allowing, of course, for taking a horse out un- 

 expectedly. The table in this book is trust- 

 worthy ; if you do not approve of it, merely alter 

 it to your taste. But whatever times, you consider 

 the best ones for feeding, keep to them with 

 clock-work regularity, which is one of the very 

 greatest secrets of good practical stable-manage- 

 ment. 



Not only must all buckets and mangers be 

 kept scrupulously clean, but the brushes must be 

 washed and disinfected at least once a week, and 

 kept as spotless and free from injurious germs as 

 the clothing and the harness, to say nothing of 

 well-brushed and well-aired cushions. 



