PASTURING. 275 



frequently become diseased. Some catch cold, some suffer 

 inflammation in the eyes, some take swelled legs, cracked 

 heels, grease, thrushes, founder, surfeit, or a kind of mange. 

 These are very common, and physic is often, indeed gene- 

 rally, given to prevent them, Tbey are produced by a com- 

 bination of circumstances ; by sudden transition from gentle 

 exercise to indolence or exciting work ; from a temperate to 

 a stimulating diet ; from a pure, cool, and moving atmosphere, 

 to an air comparatively corrupt, hot, and stagnant. These 

 changes must be made ; they are to a certain extent unavoid- 

 able, but it is not in all cases necessary that they be made 

 suddenly. It is the rapid transition from one thing to another 

 and different thing, that does all the mischief. If it were ef- 

 fected by slow degrees, the evils would be avoided, and there 

 would be less need, or no need, for those medicines which 

 are given to prevent them. 



During the first week the temperature of the stable ought 

 to be little different from that of the external air. Subse- 

 quently it may be raised, by slow degrees, till it is as warm 

 as the work or other circumstances demand. The horse 

 should not at first be clothed, and his first clothing should be 

 light. Grooming may commence on the first day ; but it is 

 not good to expose the skin very quickly by a thorough dres- 

 sing. The food should be laxative, consisting of bran-mashes, 

 oats, and hay, but no beans, or very few. Walking exercise, 

 twice a day, is absolutely necessary for keeping the legs 

 clean, and it assists materially in preventing plethora. 



The time required for inuring a horse to stable treatment 

 depends upon several circumstances. If taken home in warm 

 weather, the innovation, so far as the temperature and purity 

 of the air are concerned, may be completed in about two 

 weeks. If not very lean, the horse's skin may be well 

 cleaned in the first week ; and to clean it, he must have one 

 or two gentle sweats, sufficient to detach and dissolve the 

 dust, mud, and oily matter, which adhere to the skin, and 

 glue the hairs together. All this, or as much of it as pos- 

 sible, must be scraped off while the horse is warm and per- 

 spiring. If allowed to get dry before scraping, he is just 

 where he was. If the weather be cold, there need be no 

 great hurry about cleaning him completely. 



The propriety of giving physic after grazing has been often 

 questioned. In the stable its utility is generally acknowl- 

 edged. In books it is sometimes condemned as pernicious, 

 sometimes as useless. The grooms say that physic prevents- 



