THE EYE OF THE MASTER 91 



nevertheless a clipped horse must be kept 

 warm, and I would do this by the help of 

 clothlno-. I should not mind either If the 

 horses looked a little rough In their coats. 

 This Is far better, anything In fact is better 

 than close, hot stables, except close, damp 

 ones. 



As to bedding for non-hunting days, peat- 

 moss litter used with care Is the best. Idle horses 

 will eat straw, and many horses will do so at 

 all times, liking It better than anything else. 

 I do not know whether Irish horses are par- 

 ticularly fond of straw, but those hunters I 

 have had from the Emerald Isle have been 

 great offenders In this respect. I always give 

 them a straw bed after hunting, put down on 

 the top of the litter. This Is a fad, and It may 

 be a fancy, but I do think that tired horses rest 

 better on straw than on the litter only. 



Cheap food Is no economy In a hunting 

 stable, and I would rather keep one horse 

 and feed him on the best, than have ten on 

 cheap food. Old oats, the best of hay, and 

 plenty, though not too much, should be the 

 rule. One of the advantages of being your 

 own stud groom is that you can ascertain how 

 much a horse wants and give him that and no 

 more. Very few grooms will take the trouble 

 to do this, yet horses vary a good deal, as well 



