HORSE. 



its hardness. It will rarely harm if 

 taken from the pond or the running 

 stream, but its coldness, when re- 

 cently drawn from tiie well, has often 

 been injurious. It has produced col- 

 ic, spasm, and even death. It should, 

 therefore, be exposed for some hours, 

 either in the stable or in some tank. 



" There is often considerable prej- 

 udice against the horse being fairly 

 supplied with water. It is supposed 

 to chill him, to injure his wind, or to 

 incapacitate him for hard work. It 

 certainly would do so if, immediate- 

 ly after drinking his fill, he were gal- 

 lo{)ed hard, but not if he were suffer- 

 ed to quench his thirst more frequent- 

 ly when at rest in the stable. The 

 liorse that has free access to water 

 will not drink so much in the course 

 of a day as another who, to cool his 

 parched mouth, swallows as fast as 

 he can, and knows not when to stop. 



" \^■hen on a journey, a horse may, 

 with perfect salety, be far more lib- 

 erally supplied with water than he 

 generally is. An hour before his 

 work commences he should be per- 

 mitted to drink a couple of quarts. 

 A greater quantity might be probably 

 objected to. He will perform his 

 task far more pleasantly and effect- 

 ively than with a parched mouth and 

 tormenting thirst. The prejudice 

 both of the hunting and the training 

 groom, on this point, is cruel as well 

 as injurious. The task or the jour- 

 ney being accomplished, and tlie 

 horse having breathed a few min- 

 utes, another quart, or even two, will 

 be delightfully refreshing to him, and 

 will never do him harm. His corn 

 may then be offered to him, which he 

 will readily take ; and, before he has 

 eaten the whole of it, two or three 

 more quarts of water may be given. 



" Towards the close of the day, the 

 speed of the traveller should some- 

 what abate, and the horse should ar- 

 rive at his resting-place as dry and 

 as cool as circumstances will permit. 

 If he is hot, he must be walked about 

 a while, or the perspiration will re- I 

 turn in the stable. If he is wet, he 

 must be carefully rubbed dry. The • 

 sooner this is done the better; and, J 



after lie is clothed, watered, fed, and 

 bedded, he should, as soon as possi- 

 ble, be left to his repose. Professor 

 Stewart, of Glasgow, has lately pub- 

 lished a very useful work on the ' Sta- 

 ble Economy, or General Manage- 

 ment of Horses.' We abridge his 

 account of ' the kinds of work, and 

 the preparation for them.' 



" Travelling. — The horse should 

 undergo some degree of training as 

 to the pace, the distance, and the 

 burden. When there has been no 

 preparation, the stages must at first 

 be short, and the [)ace gentle. For a 

 journey of 300 miles the horse may 

 travel from twenty to twenty-five 

 miles a day, resting on the Sunday, 

 and doing the work in two stages, at 

 the pace of six miles an hour. This 

 requires a seasoned horse, and the 

 number of working hours per day is 

 about four. 



" Himling requires speed and 

 stoutness. The pace seldom exceeds 

 twelve miles an hour, and the run is 

 short, soon over, or interrupted ; yet 

 soft, sinking ground, hills, and leaps 

 make this pace severe even on the 

 best horses. The time for prepara- 

 tion varies from two to four months. 

 On the day before work, the horse 

 should have exercise enough to emp- 

 ty the bowels. If he is a good feed- 

 er, he should have no hay within 

 eight hours of starting, nor water 

 within four hours, nor corn within 

 three hours ; but if he has five or six 

 miles to go to cover, these restric- 

 tions are less necessary. The work- 

 ing days will vary according to his 

 condition and the hardness of the 

 running. He may be able to go out 

 every second day, and sometimes not 

 more than once in six or seven. His 

 spirits and appetite, and the state of 

 his legs, will decide this. Even on 

 the blank days some exercise should 

 be taken in order to evacuate the 

 bowels and create an appetite. 



" Coaching. — The horses are best 

 prepared for their work by good feed- 

 ing and gradual increase of speed and 

 distance. The ordinary length of a 

 stage is eight to fourteen miles ; the 

 pace being calculated at from eight 



393 



