STABLES. 107 



encouragement to expansion must be left. Patent shoes of 

 different sorts have been tried at different times, and in peculiar 

 cases some of them have perhaps peculiar advantages. For 

 hunters and coach horses alike, however, nothing has been 

 found to answer better than shoes of this patent iron, carefully 

 fitted and fixed. It is desirable that the day before the horses 

 go out hunting their shoes should be examined. As a rule 

 a set of shoes last rather more than a month, but constant 

 attention must be paid to the feet, as corns almost always 

 arise from the shoe being left on too long. No competent 

 smith need be cautioned to use only the best nails. A prick 

 caused by a nail which has divided, part going into the horn of 

 the hoof and part into the sensitive portion of the foot, may 

 lead to worse than temporary lameness. 



In a large hunting establishment it may be roughly calculated 

 that one man can look after three horses. When the animals 

 come home from hunting everyone whose services are available 

 will lend a hand to dress them down ; three or four men may 

 be usefully employed on each horse. It is scarcely necessary to 

 remark that grooming must at all times be thorough. More than 

 the appearance of a horse's coat depends on this. Unless the 

 animal is diligently curry-combed and brushed, scurf will form, 

 close the pores of the skin, and affect the horse's health. A 

 bright coat, always supposing that it be properly obtained, 

 means a bright eye. It is easy to see, by moving a little of the 

 hair back and looking at the roots, whether the horse has been 

 thoroughly dressed. On first coming home after a hard day 

 particular attention should be paid to the horse's ears. Well 

 cleaning them seems to afford special relief, and as regards 

 the legs, friction has long been recognised as both a cure and 

 a preventive of disease. 



In a chapter which is not intended to instruct the stableman 

 in the rudiments of his business, but rather to express a pre- 

 ference between disputed systems, the questions of clipping 

 and singeing need not be discussed at length. It is highly 

 desirable that horses should be clipped, for if they were not 



