THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



was under a process of cure by the groom, stood in wetted clay 

 for the space of two liours daily, for the benefit of their feet 

 and legs, and some light doses of physic were administered to 

 such as exhibited symptoms of foulness. Alterative pow^ders, 

 also, consisting of levigated antimony and sulphur, were given 

 in their corn to three who did not coat well in the preceding 

 winter, and the best eftects were experienced from them. The 

 stud were put into these paddocks on the 8th day of May, and 

 taken into the stables again on the Lst day of August, during 

 which time no accident of any kind occurred to them. More- 

 over, their condition was excellent ; that is to say, to commence 

 the preparation for severe work in the hunting season, from 

 the firmness of their flesh in the first instance ; from their 

 not being overladen with it, to the injury of their legs, in the 

 second ; and from only a trifling diminution of muscular 

 powers, in the third. The feet of these horses also appeared 

 very different to what their groom had hitherto seen in those 

 of hunters previously under his care, which had run abroad for 

 three months in the summer. They were, in fact, in a more 

 perfect state than when they had left off" work in the spring, as 

 far as crust and sole and frog were concerned ; and, moreover, 

 their form altogether had approached nearer to the natural one, 

 by having proper attention paid to them during three months' 

 growth. 



This system of sunnuering hunters having never before been 

 seen, nor even heard of, in this part of the country, it excited 

 no little surprise, and the expression of sage opinions that the 

 young Squire's hunters would be spoiled for want of their 

 summer's run in the park, which the old Squire's hunters had 

 always enjoyed, and those of the Squire's father before him. 

 The following dialogue occurred between Mr. Robson the 

 steward, Dick the huntsman, and Frank Raby's groom, as they 

 were looking at the horses in the paddocks. 



' Poor beasts,' said the Scotchman ; ' I am sorry to see you 

 shut up this way, in a prison, instead of enjoying yourselves 

 at your pleasure in the park, after the hardships you have 

 undergone. And ' (addressing himself to James the groom), 

 said he, ' wlio put all this new fasliicjii into iMr. Francis's 

 head ? ' 



' Lord Sandford's groom, sir,' replied James. 



' And are you not sorry, James, that your master listened 

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