124 THE POCKET AND THE STUD. 



them for a week. On inquiring the cause of such 

 proceeding, he told me he " ahcays liked 'em to 

 have a bit in 'em ; it gave 'em strength to work 

 the stage." This, of course, was enough ; the horses 

 were always started with overloaded stomachs ; 

 that they had not always, instead of occasionally, 

 an attack of stao^o-ers was the wonder. I tried 

 what little rhetoric I was master of to convince 

 the man of the danger and absurdity of his prac- 

 tice; but as I found he would not be convinced, I 

 felt he would not be persuaded to obey my di- 

 rections as to discontinuing it. He promised he 

 would ; but I set a watch on him, found him out, 

 and dismissed him, and sent another man to take 

 his place : from that time we had no more staggers 

 from this change than from any other. 



To conclude my remarks on hay, let me strenu- 

 ously advise all young horse-masters to be most 

 particular in procuring the very best money can 

 purchase ; they will find it a saving in the long 

 run, for without it those experienced in keeping 

 horses know perfectly well that it is out of the 

 power of the best groom to keep them in health, 

 and, consequently, in condition, 



Oats. 



Oats are, of course, a most important article in 

 stable management ; and these should be, as every 



