Fox-hunting Past and Present 



It is not wise to place a superfluity of food 

 before a horse ; in fact, corn left in mangers an 

 hour after feeding should be removed. As stated 

 above, a nervous or excitable horse feeds best at 

 night; either carrots, flour, or sugar have to be 

 added in some cases for timid feeders. Rock salt 

 may be, with convenience, kept in a horse's manger. 

 Care must be taken that hay is not given in too 

 large quantities, as great waste easily occurs. As 

 stimulating and heating food is necessary to all 

 hunters at hard work, mashes twice a week are 

 useful to keep the system in order. All physic is 

 to be dispensed with as far as possible. They 

 appear, however, to be most necessary on a 

 horse being brought up from grass, and in some 

 cases when a horse is going ''out" to grass for, 

 say, two and a half months' summer run. Again, 

 as to straw, its price varies in grass and plough 

 counties. Of this the weekly market returns furnish 

 a reliable price-list. Litter should be turned out 

 in the mornings, and soiled portions taken to the 

 dung-pit. Two trusses should suffice for two boxes 

 per week ; wheat straw is best, being bright and 

 not brittle. Barley straw is dusty and irritating, 

 and oat straw some horses eat too readily. Above 

 include the main points to be kept in view as to 

 a horse's diet. 



Now as to the summering and conditioning of 



hunters. It goes without saying that good hunters 



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