The Summer Run. 517 



Amongst the symptoms of staleness are — a rough, staring coat, in spite of sedulous grooming; 

 a falling off of the crest ; the heels cracked ; the excrement hard, dry, and voided with difficulty ; 

 a hard, hackinjj cough ; the legs swelled ; the ears cold and damp after work ; and a general 

 dulness of spirits. Whenever any of these symptoms are observed, the horse, whatever the time 

 of year, should be thrown out of work, unless the owner is prepared to see temporary ailments 

 settled into chronic disease. Even a fortnight's work, "just to finish the season," may do an injury 

 to the constitution which will require four or five months of absolute rest to cure, when six weeks' 

 rest in good time would have proved amply sufficient. 



As soon as the bad symptoms appear, the animal should be placed in a large loose box, 

 sufficiently clothed, well supplied with fresh air, and fed on the mashes already described, and with 

 some sound soft cow hay. Carrots, sliced mangel, or swedes, pulped with chaff, bran, and a 

 reduced allowance of crushed oats, will prepare the way for grass when it comes into season. 

 If the appetite is very bad, sugar, or one of the cattle condiments, may be added to the mashes. 

 Hardwood sawdust, or spent tan from lead works, make the best bed. The shoes should be 

 removed and replaced with tips, to preserve the hoofs from splitting. The horse should be gently 

 groomed every day, and his mane and tail not neglected. 



After six weeks' rest, with a daily allowance of soft food, if the horse is not ill or Lime, he will 

 be much benefited by an hour's walking exercise early every morning on damp grass, and a fair 

 supply of grass, with two or three feeds of oats daily, according to his constitution, until the 1st 

 September, when his regular preparation for the hunting-field must recommence. 



If after three weeks' or a month's rest the bad symptoms continue, and the veterinary surgeon 

 has not already been consulted, he should be called in ; but on no account should the groom be 

 allowed to quack the equine patient with " balls " of any kind, still less should the farrier, or 

 any one else, be allowed to bleed him. 



If the horse is to be turned out to grass he must be gradually cooled down, his clothing 

 removed by degrees, and his food more and more mixed with green fodder. 



While at grass his feet, shod with tips only, should be examined at least once a fortnight. 



If it is necessary to turn a horse out to grass in summer, it should be at night, and he should 

 have a dark box in the day — dark, to keep out the flies. But summer is a bad time for even a 

 lame horse of any value to be turned out to grass. 



COACHMEN — GROOMS— STRAPPERS — PAD-GROOMS — STABLE-BOYS. 



These may roughly be divided into stable servants, driving servants, and riding servants. In 

 small establishments of riding and driving horses it is the object of the master to obtain one groom 

 at least able and willing to dress, ride, and drive a horse. Where studs are large and incomes 

 ample the horse duties are usually divided into departments, with one autocrat coachman or stud- 

 groom at the iiead. 



The most expensive class of servants are the head coachman of a lady of fashion and the stud- 

 groom of a hunting stable. The business of a head, or, as commonly called, a " body" coachman 

 is to drive his master or mistress, and superintend everything connected with the carriages, harness, 

 and horses ; to see that everything is done that ought to be done, without ever touching anything 

 with his hands in the way of work, except his reins and whip. 



In addition to his wages, he often expects to pay the accounts of the corndealer, the saddler, 

 the coachbuildcr, the horsedealer, and the tailor who supplies his liveries, or at any rate to be re- 

 membered at paying time by these tradesmen. If they neglect him they seldom give satisfaction 



