104 TREATMENT OF HORSES 



local sort of exercise to them. The feeding the 

 horses, the setting fair their beds, and locking 

 up the stables at the mid-day stable hours take 

 place, allowing for any thing extra to be done, 

 at the times I have already directed. The stable 

 hours are the same as in the preceding month. 

 If the stables are shut up at) one o'clock, they are 

 to be opened again at four ; but if shut up at two 

 o'clock, they are to be opened again at five, when 

 the setting fair the stables, the watering and dress- 

 ing the horses, and particularly the rubbing of 

 their legs take place, as have already been noticed, 

 and the stables are again locked up until eight 

 o'clock. On their again being opened, the same 

 process takes place at this hour at night as I 

 have mentioned for the same stable hour in 

 the preceding month, with, however, two excep- 

 tions, — the one is, it being a wet day, and the 

 horses not having been out, the groom is to allow 

 the boys more time to rub their horses' legs; the 

 other is, as the horses have not had their usual 

 exercise for the day, so as to increase the action 

 of their bowels, and thereby promote their di- 

 gestion, the groom should give each of them, the 

 last thing at night, a luke-warm mash ; this is a 

 clean, cool, and relaxing sort of diet, and should 

 be given on such occasions as I have here di- 



