122 ON PHYSIC. 



treatment they are most of them inclined to drink 

 pretty freely on the following day. And on the night 

 previous to giving them their physic in the morning, 

 it would be advisable to keep them short of hay, 

 more particularly the craving ones. Instead of giving 

 them their usual allowance, let them have half the 

 quantity ; and those which may be inclined to eat 

 their litter may have the setting muzzles put on, 

 when the boys go into the stables to go to bed. Let 

 those that do this be set as sharp as they would be for 

 their sweat or race. The groom, on first opening the 

 stables in the morning on the day tlie j)hysic is to be 

 given, should give each of the horses a small portion 

 of mash, before they go out to exercise, and when the 

 horses return to the stables again, the craving ones, 

 after their heads are dressed, before they are turned 

 round in the stall, may have their physic given them ; 

 and the other light horses, at the different periods 

 which I have already directed. All the horses, after 

 having their physic, remain in the stables for the 

 day, and the usual stable hours are kept, at which 

 times they have their warm water given them, and 

 they are afterwards stripped and brushed over, their 

 clothes again put on, and their legs rubbed. Their 

 mashes are given them, with small portions of hay, 

 and they are shut up. Horses in physic, particularly 

 those which may be a little sick, should be fed 

 sparingly. When it is observed they are not inclined 

 to eat their mashes, they should be taken from them ; 

 if they do not seem inclined to eat their hay, they may 

 have a little clean sweet straw given them, to pick and 



