CONDITIONING.] MODET^N YETERINAEY PEACTTCE. [oonditionino. 



sionally given alterative medicine ; but when 

 he comes to hunt throe times a week, there will 

 be no necessity to stint him, and ho will never 

 be burthened with flesh with such exercise. 



The horse being got into condition, and the 

 hunting season commenced, the sweating pro- 

 cess ceases, and instead of giving exercise, to 

 keep his flesh down, and preserve his wind, 

 the exercise is now for tlie purpose of walking 

 ofl" stiftuess, occasioned by over-exertion ; 

 bracing the system which may have been 

 relaxed by excessive work, and creating an ap- 

 petite. Hard running and long distances, con- 

 tinued for many hours, will afiect a horse more 

 or less, particularly at the beginning of the 

 season, before he is accustomed to it, so that 

 his appetite will fail as well as his limbs become 

 stiff". Attention must, therefore, be turned 

 towards recovering him from that debility 

 which is caused by over-fatigue. 



Toung horses, and such as are not seasoned 

 for hunting, though in condition, are mostly 

 affected by severe days. These, therefore, 

 must not be expected to hunt more than one 

 day in the week ; for it will take nearly the 

 rest of the week for them to recover from 

 a hard run, either with fox or stag. Seasoned 

 hunters, however, will stand their work twice, 

 and, in many cases, three times a week ; though, 

 for a continuance, this is too much for any 

 horse, unless it is with harriers only, where 

 there is seldom much hard running. 



To order the horses well when they hunt, feed 

 and dress them much after the same manner as 

 before directed ; only, when going out in the 

 morning, rather shorten their allowance of hay 

 in the evening, and increase their corn, but do 

 not gorge them. They should always have a 

 good bed to invite them to lie down, and stretch 

 their legs ; but the muzzles must be kept on ; 

 for, though many do not constantly use these, 

 yet, if they be used at all, this is the most proper 

 time to do it. In the morning the horse should 

 be put on the rack-rein, but hay should not be 

 given him. This we would recommend for 

 constant practice ; and if it is made a rule not 

 to give him hay until he comes home from 

 exercise, he will not pine, or look or long for 

 it. If the distance is considerable where the 

 hounds are to meet, or if the covert be twelve 

 or more miles distance, the horse may have a 

 moderate feed of oats. Let him be thoroughly 



cleaned, his legs well rubbed, and his saddle put 

 on, moderately girthed, at least au hour boforo 

 going out. This will cause liiin to empty iiim- 

 self ; for most horses, when the saddle is put 

 on, relieve themselves by dunging if they can. 

 A quarter of an hour before wanted, put on 

 his bridle, and have him ready, buckling hiiu 

 to the stall-reins. Let him stand till wanted, 

 with a cloth thrown over the saddle. 



When a horse returns from hunting, it neces- 

 sarily follows that all expedition should be used 

 to get him clean, and made to feel comfortable. 

 If there has been very hard running, and ha 

 comes home leg-weary and tired, cleaning will 

 be more refreshing than feeding, and therefore 

 must be first attended to. He may have a sweet 

 bit of choice hay put into his rack to amuse 

 him, if he will eat while he is dressing ; bur 

 when it has been a long day, and hard riding, 

 many animals will be off" their feed, particu- 

 larly young and unseasoned horses. Tiiis, as 

 a matter of course, is to be expected, though it 

 is most desired that they should feed, which is 

 a sign of a constitution for extraordinary 

 labour. On the hounds being drawn ofi^, and the 

 day's hunt finished, the horse should be tho- 

 roughly cleaned. His head and ears should be 

 particularly well rubbed, and his body made 

 perfectly dry in every part. He should be 

 minutely examined to see that he has received 

 no injuries from stakes, stumps, boughs, bram- 

 bles, thorns, rails, flints, &c. ; likewise, that be 

 has not been galled with the saddle, girths, or 

 breast-plate, if he has worn one. "When he 

 has been refreshed with a thorough good clean- 

 ing, he will be more inclined to feed than 

 before ; but if he will not, his appetite will come 

 as his weariness wears off. 



On returning home from hunting, it is usual 

 to let the horse drink — for he is sure to bo 

 thirsty — at some convenient pond. But ho 

 should not be suffered to drink too mucii at a 

 time. About ten go-downs will be sufiicient, 

 till he is ridden to another convenient place, 

 where he may be allowed to have the like 

 quantity, and thus by degrees he will quench 

 his thirst before he gets home, which will be 

 better than letting him drink a vast quantity 

 of cold water at once. Should an opportunity 

 not have been had of giving him water on the 

 way home, he must, on his return, have it with 

 the chill off; and what is even better than this, 



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