218 HORSES AND HOUNDS. 



out of their horses. It is not to gratify any egotistical feelings 

 that I state I have ridden over as high and bad fences as 

 any man ever attempted, and never turned away from anything 

 that came in my way, which was at all practicable ; and all 

 this was done without whip or spur. 



In my treatment of horses I took a leaf out of the Arab's 

 book. My own horses were never ridden by another person. 

 When I went into the stable, I took something with me to give 

 them, a piece of bread or an apple, of which they were very 

 fond, or I gave them a feed of corn — patting their necks and 

 talking to them the while. So accustomed were they to be 

 told what to do, and so well did they understand me, that if I 

 told them to walk into a brook or river, which I could not jump, 

 they would do so without hesitation, or follow me, when dis- 

 mounted, into or over anything. I never could afford a second 

 horse in the field, and our days in the season were long and 

 generally severe ones. For three days a week I had only three 

 horses, and my men also had three each. We never exceeded 

 this number and never reo^uired more. I have before stated 

 that each horse had a loose stall or box to himself, in which 

 always stood a large double-sized bucket of water, night and 

 morning. We never gave physic unless absolutely required. 

 Condition balls, urine balls, and all such trash, were not even 

 known. 



I had a capital groom, who was always in the stable by five 

 o'clock every morning, even in the depth of winter. He was 

 fond of the horses, remarkable for a kind and unruffled dis- 

 position, and never neglected his duty. Upon our return from 

 hunting, every horse had his bucket of thick gTuel directly he 

 came into the stable, and a little hay to eat whilst he was 

 being cleaned. We never gave any corn until just before lit- 

 tering down, the last thing at night. The horse's legs were 

 plunged into a high bucket of warm water, and if dirty, soft 

 soap was used. The first leg being washed, was sponged as 

 dry as possible, and then bandaged with thick woollen bandages 

 until the others were washed ; the bandages were then removed 

 entirehj^ and the legs rubbed by hand until quite dry. We 

 used the best old white potato oats, weighing usually 45lbs. per 

 bushel, but so few heans that a quarter lasted us a season. The 

 oats were bruised, and a little sweet hay chaff mixed with them. 

 We also gave our horses a few carrots the day after hunting, to 

 cool their bodies, or a bran mash or two. They were never 

 coddled up in hoods, or half a dozen rugs at night, but a single 

 blanket sufficed, which was never so tight but that you might 

 thrust your hand easily under it. This was a thing I always 



