50 THE COMPLETE HORSEMAN 



tion of each horse should be carefully studied 

 with regard to their feeding and that they should 

 be fed according to the work they have to do. It 

 is difficult to get a groom to do this ; and I can 

 look back to some nasty accidents and very 

 narrow escapes which I have seen owing to the 

 obstinacy of grooms on this subject of over-feed- 

 ing. " I could save £1000 a year if I could feed 

 all my stock myself/* said one of England's 

 greatest agriculturists to me one day, and I can 

 well believe it. 



When a horse is resting — that is when he has 

 nothing more to do than the usual exercise at a 

 slow pace — he can do well with 30 % less corn 

 than when he is hard at work hunting three days 

 a fortnight. The groom may tell you that the 

 horse ought to have full allowance of corn with 

 occasional gallops to keep him in condition. 

 Don't believe him. I always insisted that I could 

 do all the galloping my horses required myself. 

 The wild vagaries of a horse that is above himself 

 are not only a waste of energy but they sometimes 

 incur a risk of a serious accident. 



If horses are really in condition they do not 

 require many days' rest to make them above 

 themselves, and though one naturally likes to see 

 horses fresh and light-hearted there is a limit in 

 this direction which should not be passed. After 

 the second or third day's rest the quantity of oats 

 should be reduced. If the rest is likely to reach 

 three weeks two-thirds of the quantity usually 

 given will be quite plenty. That is provided 



