THE ^^SCEEW/^ 1-1:9 



buying a horse of a neiglibour. They know that a 

 farmer, we will say, or anyone else of their acquaintance, 

 has a bond fide reason for wishing to part with a horse ; 

 they know, too, that he is a good one ; in fact, they know, 

 or can find out, all about him — and apparently for this 

 very reason they won-'t buy him. They go to a dealer 

 and pay more money for a horse of which they know 

 nothing except what the dealer tells them. The fresh 

 look of a made-up horse soon goes off, and then they are 

 disappointed in the animaFs appearance ; and lucky they 

 are if the disappointment ends there. 



Now the consideration arises, how to get the greatest 

 amount of work out of a screw. Buy where you may, 

 and give what you like, you will always have a certain 

 percentage of screws amongst your stud. With a good 

 stud groom a master need not even think of a horse on 

 non-hunting days; but, as everyone does not posses^ 

 this advantage, the following hints may not be written! 

 altogether in vain. Many hunters are inclined to fevei* 

 in the feet, the result of high keep and hard work. Any- 

 thing that diverts the inflammation from the laminae of the 

 foot, after work, is here beneficial. As a blister rapid in 

 its effects I know nothing to beat FarrelFs Vesicant, and 

 a little of this, painted on round the coronets after a hard 

 day with hounds, has the best possible efiects, the annoy- 

 ance caused by it to the horse being over in a fevt^ 

 minutes. Then, last thing at night, put the fore -feet in 

 bran poultices till the following morning, and if you have 

 any luck your screw should come out next morning step- 

 ping like a lion rampant ; at least, I adopted this treat- 

 ment with a groggy horse, and with the best results. A 

 mild bHster round the coronets, if hunting be stopped by 

 frost, is also useful. A horse, especially an old one, whose 



