ON THE GECONOMY OF THE STABLE. IO5 



and about bread high, a perfon always ftand- 

 ing behind with a whip, to make him clear his 

 hinder legs ; when he is tolerably expert he 

 may be ridden over, the height being encreafed 

 by degrees. Patience, coolnefs, fliort lelTons, 

 which do not tire or irritate, and moderate 

 heights only, are the true methods to form a 

 good and fafe (landing leaper. As to flying 

 leaps, they are beft learned in the field ; in 

 truth, any horfe w^ill take flying leaps after a 

 pack of hounds. A hard feeder during this 

 exercife will eat and digefl: well a peck and a 

 half of corn a day, in the following routine ; 

 half a peck in the morning, a quarter at twelve 

 o'clock, another quarter at four, and half a 

 peck at night. It m.ay be remarked of all 

 animals applied to domeftic purpofes, that fuch 

 as have the legs and fpine fliort, and the loins 

 w^ide and fubftantial, are endowed v/ith the 

 mofl perfetl digeflive faculty, and in confe- 

 quence have the powder of extra6ling the largefl: 

 portion of nutriment from a given quantity of 

 food. This conflderation may be had in view% 

 in apportioning the feeds of horfes, and in the 

 purchafe of animals for the fattening fl;all. 



I mufl: by no means omit in this place, to 

 caution the fportfman againfl: the too frequent 

 ufe, which is the abufe, of cordial balls, fo 

 highly in vogue amongfl: liquorifli and fweet- 

 toothed grooms, and the> interefl; ed venders of 



veterinary 



