154 UNASKED ADVICE. 



rather than accidents, and of accidents generally in a 

 very general way, hardly mentioning those peculiar to 

 the racing and hunting stable : e. g., I never saw in any 

 veterinary work the mention of " sore shins," one of the 

 most common of training troubles, though I may say 

 unknown among hunters. Therefore, my excuse for 

 writing on this subject is just this. Although first-rate 

 stud grooms know a great deal more of it than I could 

 tell them, everybody does not possess such an official. 

 Sportsmen of experience, again, do not want teaching ; 

 but there are many tyros, who are beginning hunting 

 on rather a small scale, to whom I hope these remarks 

 may be of use. Young sportsmen, with a stud of two 

 hunters, naturally like to get as much work as possible 

 out of them ; at the same time, they are hardly likely to 

 have a highly educated individual to look after them, and 

 to such are these remarks addressed. A man with a 

 small stud should always be shy of young horses, but 

 even seasoned hunters will sometimes go wrong. They 

 will not remain sound for ever, though they are not 

 so likely to be lamed in the field as young ones. 

 Amongst the most common of accidents are bangs and 

 blows on the legs. These may be either on the sinew or 

 on the bone, and may have been given by some part of a 

 fence, or by the opposite leg in a scramble. If the horse 

 be not lame, nothing much beyond rest is required; rest, 

 that is to say until the leg is cool and fine again. A 

 slight blow on the sinew may not lame the animal, but by 

 taking him out hunting again too soon he will very likely 

 be lamed. If the blow is on the bone, and the horse is 

 lame, hot fomentations and rest will set matters straight 

 again, in more or less time. It is a matter of no very 

 great moment ; but the event will often be impressed on 



