282 STABLE ECONOMY. 



off the road and plunge headlong into a river, clearing every 

 obstacle in his way with astonishing alacrity. 



The Kind of Water perferred for horses is that which is 

 soft. Hard water seems to be quite as good after the horse 

 has become accustomed to it. At first it disorders the skin 

 and the bowels a little. The hair stares and the skin is rigid ; 

 the bowels are relaxed, and at fast work the horse is apt to 

 purge. In two or three works, often in as many days, he re- 

 gains his usual appearance, and continues to thrive as well on 

 this hard water, as he previously did on the soft. How far 

 the sudden change may affect his speed or his spirit I do not 

 know. He may be weak ; and training grooms generally 

 avoid hard water, in fear of its influence upon the horse's 

 power. It is not likely that the skin and the bowels may be 

 thus disordered without alteration in other parts ; but I have 

 not been able to perceive any. Nevertheless a change from 

 soft to hard water ought, if possible, to be avoided on the eve 

 of a great performance. Hunters and racers travel to many 

 strange places ; and when immense sums are pending upon 

 their exertions, it is prudent to exclude the operation of every 

 dubious agent. Possibly water may be carried with the 

 horse, or inquiry may discover similar water in the neighbor- 

 hood of his destination. 



Hard water may be softened a little by boiling it, and the 

 addition of about half on ounce of the carbonate of soda to every 

 pailful of water, renders it softer, but not, so far as I know, 

 more fit for drinking. A change from hard to soft water does 

 not seem to produce any visible effect upon the horse. 



Temperature OF the Water. — In the stables of valuable 

 horses, considerable attention is paid to the temperature of 

 the water. If too cold, or supposed to be too cold, it is warm- 

 ed, either by adding hot water, or by letting it stand a few 

 hours in the stable or in the sun before it is given. Some- 

 times a handful of meal or bran is thrown into the water, to 

 take the cold air off it. Prepared in any of these ways it is 

 termed chilled water, meaning, I suppose, ifwchilled. In the 

 stable there is a very common, though not a general dread of 

 cold water. It is often given in considerable quantity to 

 horses highly heated by exertion, and the men attempt to 

 justify the practice by declaring that the horse is not heated 

 at the heart. In theory it is always asserted that cold water 

 is dangerous to a hot horse ; but in practice the theory seems 

 often forgotten, especially among strappers and post-boys. 

 Training and hunting, all the bred grooms practise in this in- 



