62 ON THE CECONOMY OF THE STABLE. 



the bleffed effeft of forming a coalition be- 

 tween intereft and humanity. I muft repeat, I 

 am not flouridiing away either upon my own, 

 or the theories of other men : the truth of 

 the principle I am labouring to inculcate is fuf- 

 ficiently obvious to the well informed, to me 

 it is confirmed by many years experimental 

 praftice. With inconfiderate and capricious 

 people, void of attachment even to the higheft 

 defert, it is the rage to change their horfes as 

 often as their clothes ; in fuch hands a capital 

 horfe, wantonly and ignorantly diftreft, without 

 that faving caution which alone can enfure the 

 continuance of great performances, is, to ufe 

 their own expreffive phrafe, foon done up : 

 others, of more fedatenefs and feeling, who 

 wifli to ride well, and at a moderate price, 

 will find it their intereft to purchafe this fort 

 of caft-oif horfes ; they are frequently to be 

 met with in the early ftages of decline, and 

 with proper methods may be recovered^ even 

 to their priPtine worth. 



With a thorough groom, the feet of his 

 horfe are objetls of conllant careful infpeftion ; 

 thefe fliould be well cleanfed beneath the fhoe 

 with the pecker, from all fmall flones or gra- 

 vel, at every return from abroad. The fhoes 

 mull: be examined, that their ends do not ptefs 

 into the cruft, and that the nails be faft ; other- 

 wife inftant application muft be made to the 



farrier. 



