78 PREPARATION. 



be roarers, and been the fatal forerunner of other diseases. 

 This practice was the undoubted cause of Elcho s death whilst 

 under the skilful treatment of the late Prof Spooner, of the 

 Royal Veterinary College, for an enlarged hock. 



I have already referred to Mr, John Lawrence's book, " The 

 History of the Horse," published in 1809, ^'^d may submit 

 from it certain extracts showing the preparation at that time 

 thought requisite to get a horse fit to run. He confirms what 

 I have said of its severity, the six-mile sweats twice a week, 

 which now, where not happily abolished altogether, are 

 reduced to four miles, and once a week. " The horse," Mr. 

 Lawrence remarks, for one thing, "was purged too much, and 

 shut up from the light of the sun as if it would endanger his 

 eyesight, and kept in the atmosphere of a hot-house as if in 

 training for the climate of Africa, or a hotter place." We 

 happily, to-day, give more, both of light and air, but perhaps 

 few of us to the required extent ; though the difference must 

 be very marked, even as it is. Even in bridles there is a great 

 change now to those in vogue some forty years ago. The 

 majority of boys had then to assist them in managing horses, 

 otherwise uncontrollable, martingale-drawing-reins and saddle- 

 drawing reins. Now such things are scarcely known even 

 by name, and never used. Again, curb-bridles, once con- 

 stantly used at exercise, and in which horses often ran, are 

 seldom seen in our days either in the one place or the other ; 

 though I prefer their use to martingales, so much in request 

 just now. 



Sir Charles Bunbury's method of training, we are told, 

 consisted in gentle usage and little work. No one that knows 

 anything of training, I think, would disagree with the former, 

 or approve of the latter system. Nor do I agree in thinking, 

 as some do, that by walking many hours a day a horse may be 



