156 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 



<jall common sense into play, and be satisfied that the oracular friend 

 has some good reason " which will hold water " for what he does. 



I respectfully recommend the spring run then, by all means ; and, 

 if I may venture so far to infringe the imperious laws of fashion, I 

 would venture to suggest that hunters might be allowed just a little 

 bit more tail, for the purpose for which nature intended it — namely, 

 to keep off the flies, which in summer will find them out, in or out 

 of the stable. Extremes in fashion as to the trimming of horses are 

 nearly as absurd as one sees from time to time in the dress of ladies 

 and gentlemen, and quite as devoid of sense or reason. Who has 

 not seen the old racing pictures in which Diamond or Hambletonian 

 figure with a bob tail, and who has not laughed at the grotesque 

 figure (according to modern notions of a racehorse) of these " high- 

 mettled ones," all but denuded of their caudal appendages ? 



As a matter of taste and good feeling, therefore, I venture to plead 

 for a trifle more tail for hunters than is at present allowed. To a 

 good stableman it gives no trouble, and in spring and summer time 

 it is of great use to the horse. When the latter is brought up from 

 the spring run, the question of restoring his hunting form (if, indeed, 

 he can be said to have lost any of it) is simple enough ; in fact, there 

 are few subjects on which more twaddle is talked than about the 

 " conditioning of hunters," stablemen being particularly oracular and 

 mysterious about it. Eoomy, clean, and well-ventilated boxes, 

 ^ood drainage, four and five hours' walking exercise every day, the 

 best oats procurable given u'hole, not crushed, with a moderate allow- 

 ance to old horses of good beans, and a fair allowance of good old 

 hay or clover, perfect regularity in exercise and stable times, the 

 attendance of a thoroughly good-tempered cheery lad who knows his 

 business, and the total prohibition of drugging or physicking of any 

 sort, unless by order of a veterinary surgeon — these are the arcana 

 of the much talked-of " conditioning." Some tell you that a hunter 

 should have scarcely any hay. I have yet to learn why not, because 

 I am quite sure that really good hay assists a horse to put up muscle. 

 Of course he is not supposed to gorge himself with it, as some 

 ravenous animals would do if allowed. But the same thing may be 

 said of a carriage horse or a charger. Waste of forage is one thing, 



