26o THE COMPLETE FOXHUNTER 



To go to personal experience for proof that a very 

 cool atmosphere will suit hunters well, we once had 

 some old farm-house stabling for two seasons which 

 was in a shocking state of repair. The stable was a 

 long one, and at one end of it there were holes in the 

 roof of two or three feet in circumference. There was 

 no ceiling, the stable being open up to the rafters, and 

 this allowed of plenty of air circulating. We placed 

 three horses at the dry end of the stable in early 

 autumn, and there they remained throughout the 

 winter, and during that time not one of the three was 

 sick or sorry, all keeping as hard as nails, and 

 retaining their condition right up to the end of the 

 season. 



Yet the stable was always cold, and there was more 

 than one vigorous visitation of frost and snow. When 

 this occurred each horse had a third rug, and some few 

 of the holes were stopped up with straw, but no attempt 

 to repair the defective roof was ever made, and as far 

 as the comfort of the horses was concerned there 

 seemed to be no reason why the roof should be mended. 

 In another case we knew of a hunter who was famous 

 in his own neighbourhood. He carried a huntsman- 

 master for ten seasons, and lived throughout that 

 period in an old wooden box of the most tumbledown 

 description. At times he was changed into a brand- 

 new box, built on the most modern principles, but he 

 was inclined to fret when stabled anywhere but in his 

 regular quarters, and, most extraordinary of all, he 

 used constantly to kick out certain boards near the 

 bottom of his box. Times out of number these boards 

 were replaced, but he always kicked them down again, 

 as if he knew that he must have air at any price. This 

 horse always carried a lot of flesh, and great condition 



