STABLES. 91 



for the stable need scarcely be pointed out. Their shortcomings 

 here are less directly obvious than the shortcomings of servants 

 in the house under the master's eye. It frequently happens 

 that grooms have theories of their own as to the manage- 

 ment of horses. The animals suffer, or even sometimes die, 

 under these systems ; they are often not fit to come out of their 

 stables, still less to do their work ; but nothing will persuade 

 the groom that the fault is not with the horse, but with him ; 

 such an idea never in fact occurs to him. That his master can 

 really know anything about horses he cannot be brought to 

 believe, and too often the master does, in fact, leave everything 

 to his groom, who, he vaguely supposes, being a groom, must 

 know what is best. Very frequently the groom is a slave of bad 

 old customs and really knows nothing about any horse, still less 

 is able to understand the various constitutions and peculiarities 

 of the different animals in his charge. Perhaps it may be said 

 without injustice that the majority of grooms possess that little 

 learning which is a dangerous thing. As an example of this, 

 one winter four or five horses belonging to the late Lord Henry 

 Bentinck died so mysteriously that post-mortem examinations 

 were made. Symptoms of poison were detected, and it pre- 

 sently appeared that the groom had continually given them 

 small doses of arsenic to make their coats shine. It is most 

 necessary, therefore, that the horse owner should acquaint him- 

 self with the best principles of stable management. He will 

 not do well to trust too implicitly to hastily acquired know- 

 ledge, but great advantages are likely to arise if his servants 

 supposing them to be servants of the average sort, and not those 

 treasures of servants which are so rare, men who know their 

 business ^thoroughly and do it conscientiously perceive that 

 their master understands what he is about. An old proverb 

 says that ' It is the master's eye that makes the horse fat.' Fat 

 horses are not wanted in the hunting field, but the idea applies 

 none the less to the man who owns a stud of hunters. 



The annexed plans of the Badminton Stables will convey an 

 idea of the accommodation afforded in this establishment. For 



