72 Stable Servants and 



they become used to it, but that is at all times preferable 

 to stale stagnant rain-water. Hard water will to some ex- 

 tent produce indigestion, and consequently a rough staring 

 coat. 



Care must be taken to water the horse some little time 

 before starting him on a journey, and also, on his return, 

 that he is not allowed to drink too much at first; and if the 

 horse be heated and the water cold, it should be just chilled 

 before allowing him to drink, or injury may follow. 



Exercise and Work. 



Unless the weather is wet and bad, every horse, whether 

 in a stall or box, is better for going out every day. 



The work of a carriage horse does not on an average 

 exceed seven or eight miles. They are very often out for 

 three or four hours in the day, but by far the greater part 

 of the time they are standing about, while the occupants 

 of the carriage are either shopping or making calls, &c. 

 From their size and weight they are generally unfit for 

 long journeys and hard work. 



The work of a hunter is to carry a man to hounds, and 

 in order to render him fit to do so safely and well, he will 

 require a great deal of exercise. 



Before the commencement of the hunting season he will 

 require three hours' steady walking and trotting exercise, 

 with occasional sweats and strong gallops ; but afterwards, 

 supposing he is ridden to hounds three days a fortnight, 

 he will require but little fast exercise — from two to three 

 hours' a day good steady walking will keep most horses 

 quite fit. 



To go with stag hounds, a horse must be drawn rather 

 finer than for fox hounds, his work being faster, but not 

 so long continued. The meet is later ; the deer is un- 

 carted, and the run begins at once, seldom lasting more 

 than from an hour and a half to two hours. 



With fox hounds, on the contrary, the meet is earlier, 

 and a fox is often not found till after a long draw. The 

 run, from various causes — checks, bad scent, &c. — is very 

 seldom very fast or so long as with stag hounds, conse* 



