FOOD AND GENERAL TREATMENT. 433 



of him is in spring, beginning early in the season ; and next 

 to this period, the cool days of fall. Many a horse has been 

 brought from the stable or the pasture, either after a long 

 rest, or else having never worked at all, and then, being put 

 at once to hard service, has failed, upon which the owner 

 has been apt to think himself cheated in his bargain ; whereas 

 a more judicious management might have led to a full reali- 

 zation of all his expectations, and have secured him the labor 

 of a valuable animal for many years. 



Our English author, (Youatt,) although mainly addressing 

 other classes of horse-owners than the farmer, is very clear 

 and satisfactory in his treatment of this subject. He says: 



" Our observations on this important branch of stable-man- 

 agement must have only slight reference to the agricultural 

 horse. His work is usually regular, and not exhausting. He 

 is neither predisposed to disease by idleness, nor worn out by 

 excessive exertion. He, like his master, has enough to do to 

 keep in health, and not enough to distress or injure him ; on 

 the contrary, the regularity of his wor^ prolongs life to an 

 extent rarely witnessed in the stable of a gentleman. Our 

 remarks on exercise, then, must have a general bearing, or 

 have principal reference to those persons who are in the 

 middle stations of life, and /ho contrive to keep a horse for 

 business or pleasure, but can not aflbrd to maintain a servant 

 for the express purpose of looking after it. 



" The first rule we would lay down is, that every horse 

 should have daily exercise. The animal that, with the usual 

 stable-feeding, stands idle for three or four days, as is the case 

 in many establishments, must suffer. He is predisposed to 

 fever, or to grease, or, most of all, to diseases of the foot; 

 and if, after three or four days of inactivity, he is ridden far 

 and fast, he is almost sure to have inflammation of the lungs 

 or of the feet. 



"A gentleman's or tradesman's horse suffers a great deal 



more from idleness than he does from work. A stable-fed 



horse should have two hours' exercise every day, if he is to 



be kept free from disease. JS'othing of extraordinary, or eveu 



28 



