l36 ON PHYSIC. 



mucli debilitates them, and they are a long time 

 before they recover their former strength and vigour. 



Notwithstanding these occasional results, it has 

 alw^ays been the custom with training grooms, as long 

 as I can remember, to physic their own horses, or 

 rather, those which are sent to them by different noble- 

 men and gentlemen of the turf to be trained ; for, 

 to discover the proper course of treatment would puzzle 

 most men who may be in very high practice in the phy- 

 sicking of horses in common use, and who may physic 

 such horses very properly ; yet, if these same men 

 have not been in the habit of physicking race-horses, 

 and have not at any time lived in racing stables, so as 

 to have observed the different methods of preparing 

 horses there for their physic ; such men would find it 

 extremely difficult to purge strong horses when in 

 training; that is, if they were to pay the same attention 

 that a training groom would, not to impair the consti- 

 tution of a strong horse when in training, by feeding 

 him too freely on mashes, which would cause him to 

 be relaxed. For this is a soft sort of food, and 

 not sufficiently nutritious to feed a horse on for two or 

 three days, until his bowels have become sufficiently 

 relaxed, so as to admit of a less portion of aloes being 

 given to work him, without his going back in his 

 condition. This plan will not be found to answer 

 with such a horse, unless it is intended that he should 

 lay by for six weeks or two months. The treatment 

 for refreshing a horse under such circumstances is 

 very different, and will be fully explained in its pro- 

 per place. 



