yS ON THE CECONOMY OF THE STABLE. 



cian and a fportfman, I think Mr. Clarke is by 

 no means fortunate. Although a fat horfe un- 

 exercifed, muft be at any rate extremely unfit 

 for labour, yet there is an immenfe difference 

 between that compaft and folid flefh, which 

 refults from corn-feeding, and the oily and 

 unfubftantial fat produced by aliments of infe- 

 rior quality ; and a horfe fed, and even fat 

 with the latter, is infinitely more liable to a 

 fudden dangerous crifis, from over-exertion, 

 than if he were, in the ftable phrafe, full of 

 hard meat. 



Again, Clarke quotes Berringer, who, I fup- 

 pofe, had it from BufFon, that " the Kalmuck 

 " horfes are fo hardy and fi:rong in their con- 

 " fl;itution, as to be able to run three or four 

 *' hundred Englifli miles in three days. They 

 " fubfifi:. Summer and Winter, folely upon 

 " grafs in the great deferts." By way of a 

 counterpart, I will quote an hofiler of former 

 days, v^ho ran to his maflier in a great ftew, to 

 inform him that a horfe had devoured his 

 grindftone : The mafter anfwered and faid — 

 that may be. In truth, BufFon, the Prince 

 of Naturaliils, knew about as much of the 

 phyfiology of equine performances, as the 

 Horfe does of natural philofophy. This is a 

 part of the fubjeft, for a knowledge of which, 

 enquirers mufl not have recourfe either to the 

 elaboratory, or the riding-fchool. It is a thing 



which 



