66 EXCESSIVE FATIGUE. 



vious to his engaging in this laborious undertaking, 

 feed your horse with one and a half gallon of oats, or 

 one gallon of corn and six bundles of fodder ; in the 

 morning feed with one quart of oats or corn only, and 

 offer some salt and water, of which a horse is apt to 

 drink but little early in the morning. You then set 

 out on your journey, in such speed as is proportioned 

 to the distance you cG\itemplate going in the day. A 

 rider, who is compelled to perform a long journey in 

 haste, and with certainty, in a given time, should be 

 extremely particular in his manner of riding. He 

 should bear lightly and steadily on his bridle and stir- 

 rups, never jerking, checking, or stopping his horse 

 suddenly, or change his gaits too frequently ; all these 

 things have a tendency to weaken and fatigue a horse 

 extremely. A good rider will more resemble the light 

 and airy movements of a feather, than the dull and 

 leaden gravity of a bullet ; the same horse can convey 

 a good rider twenty miles farther in a day than he can 

 one unskilled in this necessary and elegant accomplish- 

 ment. After progressing about fifteen or eighteen 

 miles, refreshment will be necessary, not only for the 

 horse, but the rider also. You will then give him a 

 bucket of salt and water with two handfuls of corn 

 meal thrown therein, and one quart of oats or corn ; 

 at twelve o'clock and at dinner time, feed and water in 

 ihe same manner. Great care should be taken to pre- 

 vent your horse from drinking cold pond or well water, 

 or indulge in any inviting rivulet he may meet in his 

 road, more than to moisten his mouth. It is a prac- 

 tice among hostlers, when they have no particular 

 directions, to plunge horses that are tired and heated 

 at twelve o'clock, into cold pond water ; in preference 

 to which I would advise that their legs should be well 

 rubbed with about half a pint of any kind of spirits. 



