156 STABLE MANUAL AND HORSE DOCTOR 



who never could admire the feats that are occasionally 

 recorded of riding and driving horses enormous distances 

 in the course oi* the day, and that, too, in a short space oi* 

 time. A journey of forty or fifty miles ^er dievi is as 

 much as any humane man, fond of his horse, ought to 

 perform. Let those who choose to go double the distance 

 boast of their exploits in this way if they please ; to my 

 mind, it is anything but creditable to them, and I can 

 never forbear the thought that with respect to horse-flesh 

 they are as ignorant as they are cruel. 



While a horse has any work to be done during the day, 

 he should not be allowed any hay ; and if fed four times, 

 the extra half- quartern allowed him will make up for any 

 deficiency in this article of diet. At night let his feet be 

 stopped, and all the other rules which I have laid down for 

 his comfort be attended to. It is a very bad plan so to 

 divide your work as to complete the last stage at night. 

 Always, if possible, let your horse be housed early, that he 

 may have plenty of time to rest before his next day's work ; 

 and this also will give you an opportunity of looking to 

 him oftener than you otherwise could, and of having cloths 

 properly aired for him, if, as is frequently the case, you 

 find the ostler prepared with a set that has been put on 

 another horse because he was wet, and that are now destined 

 for your horse because thei/ are wet, and require to be dried. 



At almost all inn stables a horse's back is the drying 

 ground for damp cloths, but it will be your own fault if you 

 suffer your hack to be used for this purpose. The main 

 point is to endeavour to obtain for your horse as much care 

 and as many comforts as he would experience in your own 

 stables. If he be distressed, you may give him gruel ; but 

 no hack in good condition ever ought to be too severely 

 pushed. It is only in the chase that this may happen 

 occasionally ; for the man who has time enough, as he may 

 have by starting early, to go a certain distance with a horse 

 well prepared for work — and no other should be used — 

 must ride him very unfairly or very injudiciously if he 

 require nursing instead of taking solid food." 



In travelling the road, the vices and defects usually met 

 with in saddle-horses are set forth in a preceding chapter 

 (Vices on the Road). The Defect of Stumbling here finds 

 its place. Mr. Bingley says on this subject : 



" There is a mode of keeping our present roads in order 



