1 48 THE COACH-HORSE. 



Blind horses also do not like sun, but " as healthy 

 as a blind horse in the winter" is a proverb. 



The lick can scarcely be called a disease, but it 

 greatly injures the condition and appearance of 

 coach-horses. When under its influence, they are 

 almost constantly, when not feeding, licking each 

 other's skins, or else the rack or manger. It pro- 

 ceeds from a heated state of the stomach, from the 

 excitement of high food, and almost daily profuse 

 sweating, and is invariably removed by alterative 

 medicines or physic. 



A great mistake is made by too many coach- 

 masters in being under instead of oter horsed for 

 their ground. Instead of keeping five horses to 

 work a certain length of ground, and feeding them 

 very high to perform it, it would answer them bet- 

 ter to keep six horses on the same allowance of corn 

 that the five horses are eating. The stock would 

 last longer, and the money they cost be " kept to- 

 gether,'' as the term is, longer, by such means. 

 Each horse would then rest two days out of six, 

 when they were all fit for work, which would keep 

 him very fresh in condition ; and there would 

 always be one spare horse left, in case of any of the 

 six wanting physic or rest. It is the almost every- 

 day excitement that breaks down the constitution 

 of coach-horses. At all events, there should be a 

 horse to a mile, to work a coach both sides of the 

 ground — ^. e. up and down the road on the same 

 day. 



