CONDITIONING.] 



THE HOESE, AND 



[conditioning. 



tliem to eat ; while others, ou the other hand, 

 will eat all that is set before them, and must 

 be stinted to a proper allowance. The oats, 

 for these occasions, should be the best that can 

 be procured — dry old oats, short and plump, 

 clean from all kind of seeds, which are fre- 

 quently to be found, particularly amongst fo- 

 reign oats ; perfectly sweet, free from dust, 

 and white and clear. The oats should be well 

 sifted, and the husks, chaff, or any light oats 

 blown away, and the manger should be per- 

 fectly clean. When the horse has eaten his 

 oats, clear his dung from behind, him, but bu 

 careful not to disturb bis wet litter, so as to 

 occasion the vapour or stench to arise. Tou 

 may strip oiF his cloths, rub the dung, if any, 

 off his hind quarters, hocks, &c., and giving 

 him a light brush over, put on his exercising 

 cloth and saddle ; then turn him round, brush 

 his head and ears, put on his bridle, and take 

 him out for exercise. The stripping and brush- 

 ing are as refreshing to the horse as washing 

 is to ones- self after getting out of bed in the 

 morning. While the horses are out at exer- 

 cise, a person should be left at home to clear 

 away all the wet dung, immediately setting 

 doors and windows open, in order to have the 

 stable sweet against their return, and all the 

 stalls set fair, and the stable cleanly swept. 



Eor exercise, choice should be made of the 

 driest and most open piece of turf, sod, or 

 heath that is in the neighbourhood, and, like- 

 wise where there is some gradual ascents, if of 

 half a mile or a mile in length all the better, 

 to give the horses some genth breathings, in 

 order to bring them into wind. They should be 

 walked the first half hour, letting them empty 

 themselves, yawn, stretch their necks, and enjoy 

 the sweet refreshing morning air, which is invi- 

 gorating, bracing, and strengthening both to man 

 and beast. The walks should be so managed as to 

 bring the horses about this time to a convenient 

 place tc give them a gentle gallop ; beginning 

 slow, and gradually increasing the pace till you 

 finish at a half or three-quarters speed. The 

 length of the gallop should be proportioned to 

 the strength or condition of the horse. If he 

 is faint, so as to sweat soon, stop in time, and 

 walk him, that he may recover his breath, and 

 cool himself. He must not be put into a tho- 

 rough sweat, except on those days appointed 

 for that purpose, which should be about twice 

 120 



a week till he commences hunting, and then 

 he will not require any sweating in exercise. 

 In this manner, alternately walk and gallop, so 

 as not to sweat him till you find it time to re- 

 turn, which you should so manage as to keep 

 him out about two hours. After the conclu- 

 sion of the last gallop, the horse having reco- 

 vered his breath, and cool, it should be con- 

 trived to have water at hand to let him drink, 

 and then allow him an hour's walk home. 

 If the water should chill him, and make liis 

 coat stare, a gentle gallop to warm him will be 

 proper, hut he must not he sweated. 



Horses generally prefer to stale on litter, as 

 they are not then splashed by it ; and if the 

 wet litter is spread in a convenient place, with- 

 out the stable — some yards are thus purposely 

 strewed — the horses, standing a minute or two 

 before they are put in the stable, or during the 

 time the groom dismounts, will stale, by which 

 means the stable will be kept clean and healthy. 

 When put into the stable, a bit of hay, well 

 shaken from dust and seeds, should be given. 

 The quality of hay for hunters should be the 

 choicest that can be procured, grown on a rich 

 meadow, and cut before it gets too ripe. 

 Hay, when it stands too long before it is cut, 

 may answer the farmer's purpose by seeding 

 his ground, and wanting less making ; but to 

 be good for a horse, and especially a hunter, it 

 should be cut when young, before it seeds, and 

 with the sap in it. If it is then well made, 

 and got in, in the dry, it will, fourteen months 

 after, cut out as green as a leek, and the flowers 

 will retain their beauty nearly as well as when 

 growing. Hay will never be better than when 

 twelve or fourteen months old : but such as we 

 have described is not always to be procured ; 

 yet good meadow hay, that has not been 

 heated too much in the stack, may be purchased 

 very frequently. Indeed, we have heard 

 some experienced followers of the chase say, 

 that they preferred it a little brown ; but, if it 

 is twelve months old, having a fragrant sweet 

 smell, it cannot be too green. New hay must 

 not, on any account, be given. We give this 

 caution because of the faintness which is in 

 new hay, and which will be as detrimental as 

 giving him grass ; that is to say, if it is meant 

 to preserve the horse in good hunting con- 

 dition. 



Having put the horse to the rack-rein with 



