202 ON RUNNING HORSES 



a cathartic, equally mild, fafe, and efficacious ; 

 but I know of no poffible bufinefs a groom can 

 have with mercurials, in the cafe of phyficing 

 merely for condition. In fome inftances, the 

 neutral falts might be fubftituted even for aloes, 

 with great advantage; I mean with wafhy, hot, 

 and irritable horfes, which foon part with their 

 flefh. A gentleman accuftomed to the liable 

 forms, would not be fatisfied that his horfe could 

 race, having been purged with Glauber's falts 

 only ; let him make the effay with one which 

 he does not intend fliould run to win. 



It appears to me, that race-horfes are invari- 

 ably over- purged, either by an excefs in the 

 number or ftrength of the dofes, or by the ufe 

 of Barbadoes aloes, or mercury. Such caufe 

 can never fail of the effe6l ofdetra6ling from a 

 horfe's fpeed, and of debilitating him, however 

 it may poffibly elongate his ftride. The cords 

 and pullies of the machine are deprived of too 

 much of their fpring, in which confifts both 

 the edge of fpeed, and the grafp of continuance* 

 The exercife alfo is, I am convinced, even yet 

 too fevere and indifcriminate, and our horfes 

 too often brought to the poll in a condition 

 much below their work. The external figns 

 of this error are, want of cheerfulnefs, delicate 

 feeding, refufal of water, or greedinefs of it, 

 loofe tefticles, and backwardnefs in recovery 

 of flefli after training. Many a colt, I believe, 



is 



