ON PHYSIC. 121 



to act now, as we should be were the horses in train- 

 ing, or were they labouring under disease, we prefer 

 giving them their physic at different times, with a view 

 to have them all purging on the following morning 

 when at exercise. In endeavouring to accomplish this, 

 the groom must bear in mind, when he is about giving 

 physic to a number of horses on the same day, (say 

 fifteen or twenty for example), that the constitutions of 

 so many horses will vary, more or less ; consequently, 

 he must vary the quantity of aloes in each dose, ac- 

 cording to the age, constitution, and condition of each 

 horse ; but he must also regulate the time of day that 

 different horses should have their physic given them 

 after they come in from exercise in the morning. Those 

 of craving constitutions may have their physic given 

 them immediately after they come in, at seven or eight 

 o'clock in the morning. Those with constitutions not 

 quite so strong, may have theirs given them at twelve 

 o'clock in the day ; and those which may be still more 

 delicate (if it be determined to physic them), may 

 have theirs given them at four or six o'clock in the 

 evening ; and by this method they may be got to 

 purge pretty nearly at one time, which is an object worth 

 attending to, as the groom can more readily judge how 

 each dose of physic operates on each horse, in propor- 

 tion to the quantity of aloes given. 



Such horses as are known to the groom to be shy 

 drinkers in physic, must be watered sparingly at 

 twelve o'clock, the day before the physic is given, 

 instead of at four or six in the evening. From this 



