FEEDING AND CONDITION 45 



no doubt that he contrives to get all the earth 

 he wants when he is ' running out/ 



The first time afternoon exercise was brought 

 forcibly to my notice I was visiting a famous 

 trainer. Three or four of his horses were led 

 out into a paddock — one of them a horse which 

 was a favourite for an important handicap — 

 and they were allowed to nibble a bit of grass. 

 The favourite soon had a very dirty mouth and 

 I said as much. '' Yes " said the trainer, 

 ''that does as much good as another feed of 

 corn.'' I may add that the favourite won 

 his race. The late George Mulcaster, than whom 

 no one knew much more about conditioning 

 hunters and steeplechase horses, always used 

 to have the horses that had been doing strong 

 work dismounted and allowed to eat a bit of 

 grass and of course earth, after their gallops 

 were finished, and he liked to get them a nibble 

 when the race was over where that was practicable. 

 His remark was that they enjoyed it, and I 

 am sure they do and that it is highly beneficial. 



By the time the horses have got well dressed 

 over again it is nearly time for evening stables, 

 when water, corn, and some long hay will again 

 be given. 



It is in many stables a custom to do nothing 

 more than rub the horses over with a rubber 

 at evening stables, but they are decidedly 

 better for a good dressing. Nothing tends to 

 the promotion of condition more than good 

 grooming ; and a horse that is regularly and 



