ON THE GECONOxMY OF THE STABLE. 5I 



and diuretic balls, and keeping body-girtbs con- 

 ftantly upon them, drawn up with all his might. 

 Soon after I rode a ftage with this gentleman, 

 of about twenty-four miles, rather briflvly ; I 

 fuppofe after the rate of eleven miles per hour; 

 at the end, I could fcarcely fee any bellies his 

 horfes had, nor much probability of their re- 

 cruiting in hade, for they w^ould not touch 

 their food. I never afterwards heard of the 

 body-girths. 



Here follows the immediate ftyle of trim- 

 ming horfes. The legs and heels are trimmed 

 quite clofe, and delicately even, with comb and 

 fciflars. The long hairs around the eyes are 

 pulled ; thofe below, upon the nofe, cut clofe 

 with the fciflars; the beard and ears, fniged 

 with a lighted candle. The latter is a ufelefs 

 and dangerous praftice : ufelefs, becaufe nowife 

 contributory to the appearance of beauty or 

 fymmetry, the ends of which are anfwered to 

 the full, by clipping the hair perfe611y even, 

 externally ; dangerous, becaufe, in the firfl: in- 

 (lance, the horfe is punilhed and rendered fliy 

 about the head, and, what is of much w^orie 

 confequence, liable to colds, from the expofure 

 of the delicate organs of hearing to fliarp air, 

 and the drippings of rain and fleet. Nature has 

 given that hair to defend the inner ear, and no 

 horfe ought to be deprived of it upon any pre- 

 tence : in fa6l, I know^ of no pretence' we have 



E 2 but 



