RIDING ON EX MOOR. 351 



getting a horse into condition, but a few hints drawn 

 from many years' experience may be useful. Always 

 see that a groom when exercising two horses has 

 saddles on both and rides them alternately. If a 

 horse is intended for a lady to hunt it should be 

 exercised and ridden in a side-saddle. A side-saddle 

 is bigger than a man's and the sight of a lady's horse 

 sore all round the edge of the saddle and sound in 

 the middle, due solely to the want of this precaution, 

 is not uncommon. 



It is a good thing to keep the saddle off a horse 

 the day after hunting, and have its necessary 

 exercise done in hand, as it gives the skin a chance 

 to recover itself from any slight irritation which may 

 exist even though not apparent. With a linen-lined 

 saddle it is a good thing to pipeclay at once on taking 

 off the saddle ; the clay as it dries absorbs all the 

 grease from the sweat, and when dry and brushed 

 off leaves the linen clean. Pipeclaying after the 

 sweat has dried is no use except for ornamentation. 



The most difficult thing to guard against in hot 

 weather is an attack of " surfeit " — urticaria or 

 nettlerash — due to over-heating of the blood. The 

 only way to avoid this is by very careful feeding; 



I 



/Stimulating food, such as beans, peas, and maize, 

 should be entirely avoided, and an extra allowance 

 of green stuff given as well as carrots ; but no matter 

 how much care is taken some horses will develop it 

 if worked in hot weather. With such, half an ounce 

 to an ounce of bi-carbonate of soda with the night's 



