HOW TO KEEP CONDITION. 1 03 



Never muzzle at night, unless you have some rea- 

 son for it, such as preparing for physic ; the horse 

 being a bed-eater, &c. ; and in the latter case some- 

 thing should always be given in the middle of the 

 night, or an hour before daybreak. The system of 

 fasting from nine at night till nine in the morning, 

 to please the fancy of the owner, is ruinous to a 

 horse's inside. 



Never allow of stimulants or masallahs indiscrimi- 

 nately; and particularly avoid them whenever the 

 least symptom of illness, or falling off in condition ap- 

 pears, for they are destructive at the commencement 

 of many illnesses, although most salutary in other sta- 

 ges ; therefore, gi\e them only when out in cold or 

 rainy weather, or during hard work; on which occa- 

 sions the pint of Hodgson, sweetened with an ounce 

 of ghoor, adding half a drachm of ginger, finely grat- 

 ed, and one drachm of anise-seed, whilst on the fire 

 warming, is the finest cordial of any. 



Never fail to have the feet pared once in every 

 twenty-five days, if they grow quickly, or thirty days 

 at most ; and the first day you observe the least con- 

 tracting of the heels, take off the shoes and treat for 

 "CONTRACTION." 



Never picket your horse with two tent-pegs six feet 

 apart, unless he is a weaver, or you are about to shoot 

 him ; tw^o close together are far more secure, and he 

 is less liable to hurt liirnself : and if you must use heel- 

 ropes, let them be very loose at night, or many an 

 hour's sleep will be lost from fear to lie down. I 

 have seen many horses thrown completely out of 

 spirits, and some out of condition, solely from this 

 cause. 



