272 PURGATION. 



fhould be well foaked in water twice a day ; 

 they fliould (land loofe in their flails, and, if it 

 would not give Mr. John too much trouble, or 

 interfere with his attentions to Molly, his horfes 

 (hould have a daily walk of fome hours. 



Enough has been already faid on the regular 

 cleanfing of fporting horfes, farther, it will be 

 fufficient to add, in general, that every defcrip- 

 tion will be benefited, and their worth en- 

 hanced, by a purging courfe twice a year ; and 

 the old periods of fpring and autumn are cer- 

 tainly as proper for the purpofe as any other. 

 Each courfe may confift of three regular dofes 

 of aloetic phyfic, or two, or of one only, pre- 

 ceded or fucceeded by falts ; or of falts alone, 

 according to the conllitution and prefent condi- 

 tion of the horfe. 



The figns of a want of purging phyfic, from 

 the common caufe, over repletion, are fo ob- 

 vious, that it is needlefs to repeat them ; but 

 occafionally, although rarely, a lean and hide- 

 bound appearance may indicate the fame want ; 

 the digeftion may have been injured, and the 

 appetite depraved, by unwholefome food ; the 

 inteftines may be choaked up with flime and 

 filth, the proper nidus of worms : horfes in fuch 

 a ftate acquire ftrength, and thrive much after 

 phyfic. But it is neceffary to be very cautious 

 in purging weak and delicate horfes ; in fa61, 

 it had always better be referred to men of pro- 



feffional 



