136 HORSE PORTRAITURE. 



have been very much benefited by the application of an 

 irritant, as nothing would be so likely to restore the skin 

 to its proper functions. It now has an unnatural close- 

 ness and tenseness, arising from the adhesion of parts 

 underneath, caused by a deposit in the interstices, the 

 effects of acute inflammation at some previous period. 

 The emollient tendency of the hot water may relieve this, 

 and the treatment will be such as to render the cure of 

 the running thrush a work of some little duration. We 

 would defeat the end we have in view, were we to stop 

 the offensive discharge from the frog, before the system is 

 relieved from the taint which causes the disease. 



The walk your horses had before leaving home will 

 shorten the time required now in fitting them to enter 

 the second stage of the preparation. In my remarks on 

 walking, while we were going to the smith's shop, I left 

 much unsaid that ought to be fully understood at this 

 stage of the training, and while reprobating the practice 

 predominant many years ago, of walking horses too much, 

 think it very essential that a proper time should elapse 

 before they are called on to "jog." We will find a great 

 difference in the amount of work even members of the 

 same family are able to stand ; still, there will be less 

 variation in the time allotted for walking than when the 

 gait is faster ; that is, the walking given in this prelimi- 

 nary stage. As we progress, and it becomes an adjunct 

 to the trotting, we may find a great dissimilarity in the 

 members of your stable. Now, we will walk them all, 

 with the exception of Clipper and King, two hours and a 

 half in the morning, and one and a half in the evening. 

 The old members of your horse family we assume to have 

 acquired the step necessary for fast trotting. The essen- 

 tials with them, then, is to obtain condition, and forget 

 bad habits. We shall be fortunate if we have them in 

 proper order for a race in three months. This, therefore, 



