88 RIDING, DRIVING AND KINDRED SPORTS 



and men too, are apt to neglect such matters 

 as sponging- out the eyes and nose, the dock 

 and sheath, and, on the other hand, they occa- 

 sionally use the curry-comb for the horse's coat, 

 for which it was never intended, and to which 

 it is perhaps hardly necessary to say it does 

 harm. Another very important matter which 

 needs supervision is the washing of the feet, 

 not the legs, which should never be touched 

 with water, except a wet bandage be needed. 

 Washing out the hoof is a simple matter 

 enough, but the need of care comes in in 

 drying the heels, which are sure to be wetted 

 afterwards. Wet heels mean cracked heels, 

 and cracked heels mean horses laid up. 



So much for general precepts, now for par- 

 ticular instances. The most important matters 

 in the care of the hunter are his treatment on 

 return from hunting and on the next day. Let 

 me tell the plan I followed. There is, of 

 course, little in it, but it was very successful. 

 As soon as the horse came home he was led 

 into a spare stall. I then loosened his girths, 

 threw a rug over his back, and took off his 

 bridle, while the lad went to the house for a 

 pailful of warm gruel which had been prepared. 

 To give a horse a pailful or even two is good, 

 and you may rejoice that he will take it. I 

 have had more than one horse that never 



