50 HORSES AND HOUNDS. 



liis life. Tie liis liead up, while I steps across and gets summut 

 as I mixes, which will do un good." Mr. Bolter quickly returns 

 with such a compound, in the shape of a ball, that it often 

 settles the business, and the next person who appears on the 

 scene is the knacker. We had often dead horses brought to the 

 kennel, which, coming from farmers, we could not well refuse, 

 and the general reply to my question, " Well, farmer, this is a 

 sad loss to you ; how did it happen ?" " Oh, sir, he was taken 

 all of a sudden with the colic or fret, or something of that sort, 

 and we sent off at once for the furrier (commonly so called, 

 instead of farrier, but by the way no misnomer), and he gave un 

 a drunch." " Oh," said I, " the drench explains all ; you need 

 say no more." I do not by any means wish to be too hard upon 

 the Messrs. Bolters, or gentlemen of their profession, but I am 

 only stating facts which commonly occur, and which might be 

 remedied by the use of a little common sense, instead of so 

 much of the mixums. In all inflammatory cases these con- 

 founded balls and drenches are only adding fuel to fire, and 

 must produce fatal consequences. 



To return to my subject of summering horses. If you have 

 no opportunity of turning them out, you must do the best you 

 can with a loose box. The more roomy and airy it is the bet- 

 ter. The shoes should be taken off, the hoof pared well down 

 and even all round, and short at the toe. Lucerne is a capital 

 thing to give horses, but fresh vetches, not too old, or new 

 mown grass, if the others are not to be had, will answer the 

 purpose. You need not attend to the crotchets many grooms 

 have in their heads of cramming horses during the summer 

 months with corn, under the idea of keeping them in condition ; 

 they do not require more than two feeds per day. With no 

 work and no exercise, they will always keep high enough in 

 flesh, if not too high. Clothing of course they will not require, 

 which should be gradually withdrawn from the time they are 

 not used for work. Many knowing hands, who must be always 

 meddling with horses' stomachs in some way or other, prescribe 

 a dose of physic, as a preparation — for what ? The gripes or 

 colic I should suppose. When horses are taken from dry food 

 to green you may as well give a man a dose of calomel and a 

 black draught in the morning loho is taken off beefsteaks and 

 port wine to he put on mutton broth or gruel. Young grass w^ill 

 clear them out well enough without the aid of the apothecaries' 

 shop, but when taken up and put from green food to dry hay 

 and corn, they will then require a dose or two of physic, with 

 plenty of bran mashes. 



I am well aware that with many there exists a prejudice 



