256 In Scarlet and Silk 



addition to getting what tliey can forage for 

 themselves. In a former book, published some 

 years ago, I wrote : " A roomy loose-box, well 

 ventilated and clean, with perhaps a couple of 

 hours' run in the day in a paddock, and about 

 two feeds of corn, is the way to summer 

 hunters." I am, I hope, wiser now, and in- 

 stead of running them out by day, I say turn 

 them into the paddock each night during the 

 hot weather, for at night the midges cease 

 from troubling, and the horse-flies are at rest. 

 In addition to this, the heavy dews of morning 

 and evening are most beneficial to the feet, 

 especially if they are at all inclined to get 

 heated or feverish. 



There seems to be a practice now growing up 

 of summering hunters in large loose- boxes, 

 laid with tan or peat-moss, and giving them 

 no exercise or chance of exercising themselves 

 for from three to four months ; in fact, they 

 never come out of their boxes at all during 

 that period. I confess I fail to see the advan- 

 tage of this system. Surely it is an unnatural 

 life for a horse to lead ; his muscles must all 



