114 THE HI NTIXG FIELD 



though perhaps he was rather in the extreme, at all events 

 induced men to run into the extreme, who lost sight of the 

 fact that " Ximrod " took Leicestershire for his standard, and 

 that what might be necessar}' there might be superfluous else- 

 where. Besides, it is evident that with the variety of constitu- 

 tions, tendenc}- to lameness, and infirmit\- of horses, no general 

 rule can be laid down for their management. Treatment 

 adapted to each case seems to us a sounder and more sensible 

 system. We advocate clipping, a practice " Nimrod" never 

 could bring himself to hear of, though there is no doubt that 

 all who have tried it will admit its wonderful efficacy. 

 "Ximrod's"' objection seemed to be its cheapness, and its 

 tendency to make Grooms idle ; but the former is an objection 

 that poor men will readily pocket, and the latter is easily 

 remedied by giving each man three horses instead of two to 

 take care of. As times go, anything that tends to diminish 

 the expense of hunting establishments ought to be adopted, 

 and certainly clipping is a thing that not only saves labour to 

 the servant, but also needless annoyance and irritation to the 

 horse. A Groom never knows when he is done with a woollj'- 

 coated horse, for after he has strapped him, and rubbed him, 

 and got him, as he thinks, after much toil and labour to 

 himself, and plunging and kicking and wincing on the part of the 

 horse, all right and comfortable, very likely, on going into the 

 stable an hour or so after, he finds the horse all broke out again 

 into a cold clammy sweat, and all the rubbing and whisping to 

 do over again. Take the animal's pea-jacket of a coat off, either 

 by clipping, shaving, or singeing, and he not only looks five-and- 

 twenty per cent, better, but he thrives to the extent of five-and 

 twenty per cent, more, and does a third more work into the 

 bargain, with half or less than half the trouble to the Groom. 



Clipping used to be quite a trade, nay, it almost threatened 

 to become a " profession " at one time, so high did the artists 

 run up their prices : but the humbug of the thing is exploded, 



