165 



will secure liberal treatment. If however he Is^eeps 

 two horses, he will undoubtedly find that he can 

 maintain them both for less than three-fourths of 

 the charge of sending them to livery, provided that 

 he has stabling attached to his house. In many 

 cases, however, the question of economy does not 

 occur ; and though gentlemen who keep their studs 

 systematically, are not likely to be among my 

 readers, yet if perchance these pages should meet 

 their eyes, they may find some useful hints as to 

 that very important, though neglected point, the 

 construction of their stables. 



A horse, in his educated state, is by no means a 

 hardy animal. Many, perhaps most of his nume- 

 rous diseases, spring from a neglect of those pre- 

 cautions which are required by the artificial cha- 

 racter of his life : the abridgment of his active 

 days is alone sufficient proof of this. Many horses 

 live to twenty or five-and-twenty, but not one in a 

 hundred is fit for real labour after thirteen. That 

 this arises partly from their being prematurely 

 brought to work, is certainly true ; but it is equally 

 true that this premature exertion is as injurious 

 indirectly as it is directly. To prepare them for 

 it, they are brought into close and heated stables 

 before their constitution has attained its maturity, 

 and, like children reared by anxious parents, warm 



