474 ' The Book of the Horse. 



should be allowed to slake his thirst, without overloading his stomach, at any clean water. 

 The man who would, after violent exercise, be seriously injured by drinking a quart of cold 

 water, would be wonderfully refreshed by drinking the contents of a \\'ine-glass. It is necessary 

 to avoid loading the stomach of or chilling a horse, but that is quite a different thing from 

 keeping him in a state of thirst, which will soon become fever. On the way home, after a 

 severe run, on a long, dragging day, with ten or more miles to complete before reaching your 

 own stable, the first opportunity should be taken of riding your horse through a shallow 

 pond or ford, in order to wash the dirt off his legs and belly. This is said to be one means 

 of preventing mud-fever. A halt should be made at the first place where shelter and gruel, or 

 some substitute, can be obtained. 



Gruel is best made of oatmeal, mixed with about a gallon of water, brought to the boil, 

 and then turned into a bucket, to be filled up with cold water ; but when oatmeal is not at 

 hand wheat-meal or barley-meal may be substituted. If neither is to be obtained, a stale 

 loaf, cut up and soaked in water, makes a very useful horse-soup, to which a few pinches of 

 salt may be added. A carrot or two sliced up will tempt a feverish horse ; and if he hesitates 

 to drink his gruel let him commence with a couple of quarts of cold water. 



It is not advisable to give an over-tired horse, or any horse on a journey, a quantity of 

 hay, or even oats. The concentrated fodder recently invented by Mr. Goode is so portable 

 that two cakes can be carried in the hunting-coat pockets. Horses greedily eat it, and digest 

 it well.* 



When a horse is thoroughly exhausted, a bottle of beer, strengthened with a glass of spirits, 

 may be given with advantage. On no account should he be bled, except under the advice 

 of a competent veterinary surgeon. All farriers like to bleed ; it shows practice. It is not 

 a bad plan to teach hunters at home to like beer ; then the trouble of drenching, on an emergency, 

 may be saved. 



An exhausted horse, halted on his way home, needs ivarinth and frcsli air. The warmth 

 must be obtained by putting him out of draughts, bandaging his legs in flannel, and covering 

 his loins with blankets or coats, if horse-rugs are not to be had. But fresh air to breathe is 

 essential. How often do half a dozen well-meaning, thoughtless young fellows, excited by 

 a capital run, leave their tired animals to the hands of some ignorant ostler, who crams them 

 pell-mell into a close stable or cow-house, closes every chink where air could get in, and puts 

 before them an ample supply of hay and oats I Presently, while the sportsmen are thoroughly 

 enjoj'ing themselves over a good fire, refreshments, and gossip, the ostler disturbs them with, 

 " Please, gents, the chestnut horse is took very bad." Very likely foul air and unfit food 

 will have disabled a good hunter for the season. If there's a cow-doctor near, and he, to 

 stop the fearful action of the heart, bleeds the poor chestnut, he is pretty sure to be dead 

 before morning. 



In wild hunting countries a hard rider will do well to carry a set of flannel bandages 

 in his overcoat case, to help to quicken the circulation of a tired horse. 



It is not a good plan to torment an exhausted horse with elaborate grooming. Bandage 

 his legs in their dirt, never wash his legs, dry his legs with sawdust and liis ears by pulling 

 them, put a cloth over his loins, get him to take some drink, and if he is much covered with 

 dry sweat and mud, be content with slightly brushing him over with a damp brush until he 

 gets into his own stable, where his own groom will know how to treat him. A bucket ol 

 linseed tea is a good thing for a hunter's first drink in his own box. 



* Goode, Blackett Steam Mills, Bow, London. 



