130 HINTS ON HORSEIVIANSHIP 



ourselves, he will require a good hearty meal, and 

 as far as my horses are concerned, I always see 

 that they have it. I also believe that what they like 

 best on return to the stable is a couple of bucketsful 

 of good clear water, and not hot meal or linseed 

 and water. If you doubt this statement, try putting 

 the two side by side in his box as he returns, and 

 see which he will choose. Six hours under the 

 saddle, under ordinary conditions, is not exhausting 

 to a horse. If he is in hard condition it is little 

 more than a good exercise. And if that is admitted, 

 why treat him like an invalid on his return ? It is 

 only a minor point, but it is worth thinking over. 



Colic, — If a horse shows signs of colic, walk him 

 about and never let him lie down. This rule is 

 universally accepted. It seems to be almost the 

 first thing anybody ever learns about stable manage- 

 ment. It is so general that no one ever seems to 

 have questioned its value, and " walking about" 

 is sometimes taken as the necessary recipe for other 

 ailments as well, and some people even have been 

 known to think that it is wTong to let horses lie 

 dovm. at all. I remember some many years ago, 

 wiien I w^as the orderly officer, I w^as going round 

 stables and had some difficulty in finding the 

 sentry. On meeting him eventually in one of the 

 stalls, I asked him w^hat he had been doing. " Oh, 

 sir," said the sentry, a young recruit, " all the 

 horses will keep lying down, and it takes me all 

 my tune to keep poking them up ! " 



He, too, had heard of the colic rule, and like 

 many other people, had misinterpreted it. 



