356 STABLE ECONOMY. 



Travelling. — The preparation for a long journey should 

 consist in training the horse to suffer, with impunity, the in- 

 fluence of those agents and circumstances to which his work 

 will expose him. He should be put into condition for the 

 pace, the distance, and the burden ; he should be well inured 

 to the harness, to the weather, bad grooming, indifferent sta- 

 bling, and irregular feeding hours. Without he be previously 

 accustomed to all that he is likely to meet with in the course 

 of his journey, a cold, a sore back, or a bad appetite, may 

 throw the horse out of work when his place can not be easily 

 supplied. 



When there is no time for preparation, the horse may be 

 conditioned on the road, beginning by short stages and pro- 

 ceeding at a gentle pace, and giving additional attention to 

 feeding, watering, stabling, and dressing. 



The horse should be shod a few days before starting. If 

 lamed in the operation, the evil will be apparent, and cured in 

 sufficient time to let him proceed. 



For a journey of about 300 miles, the horse may travel 

 from 20 to 25 miles every lawful day, resting on Sunday, and 

 doing the work in two stages, when the pace reaches six 

 miles per hour. This work requires a seasoned horse. 



Hunting requires much speed, and more stoutness. The 

 horse must be swift and enduring. The pace seldom exceeds 

 twelve miles per hour, and when quicker, or so quick, the run 

 is short, soon over, or interrupted ; yet soft sinking ground, 

 hills, and leaps, make this pace very severe even on the best 

 horses. Good legs are essential only when the weight is 

 heavy, the ground generally deep, or the leaps numerous. 



The time required for preparation varies from two to four 

 months. When the horse is neither very fat nor very lean, 

 he may be trained to hunting in three months ; or if he has 

 been doing some work for two or three weeks previously, or 

 if he has a deep chest, wide nostrils, and good legs, two 

 months may serve. In that time he may have all the power 

 and speed, and stoutness, his work requires. Even after one 

 month's preparation, he may be fit to enter the field, but when 

 there he must be carefully managed, not tasked very far, nor 

 very fast. His work must be such only as he would receive 

 in training. 



The means employed for conditioning hunters, are physic, 

 exertion, sweating, and feeding. 



On the day before work, the horse should have exercise 

 sufficient to empty the bowels ; if a great eater, he should 



