109 



usually shown with the fore legs in an elevated position, and made to 

 stretch. Dealers, grooms, and showmen in sale yards invariably adopt this 

 show pose, not always to a horse's advantage, particularly when he is 

 " calf-kneed " and his hind legs are naturally "too far away from him." It 

 is a mode of disguising such defects as straight fore legs, being ' ' baker- 

 kneed," or standing over, and hooked hocks, etc. This position is deceptively 

 complimentary to a horse naturally low before, giving him better carriage 

 and forehand, making him appear to cover more ground, taking from his 

 height if leggy, lowering the hips, and thus raising the loins, levelling the 

 back, and making the shoulders look more oblic|ue. A horse can in this 

 way be got to measure at least an inch under his true height, an imposition 

 sometimes recoursed to in selling horses to match, etc. You must therefore 

 insist upon a horse being allowed to stand naturally, when his very attitude 

 and the position of his legs may betray his weakness, and point at once to 

 well-known diseases and malformations that will render further inspection 

 unnecessary. 



I now come to describe how to take care of a hunter, a matter much 

 easier dealt with than choosing him. 



My observations on this subject are only intended for the ioforma- 

 tioQ of owners of small studs, such as I once had myself. I would not 

 presume to make suggestions to a swell with a large stud, and still less 

 to that greater swell — his stud- groom ! 



Jorrocks tells us it was either Walter Scott or little Bartley the boot- 

 maker who said that " there w^as no young man wot would not rather 

 have a himputation on his morality than on his 'ossmanship," and goes 

 OQ to remark, " and yet how few there are wot really know anything about 

 the matter. Oh, but if hignorance be bliss 'ow 'appy must they be ! " 



While allowing the grand old fellow his own rate of discount for 

 exaggeration, we can, of course, knock off from the above assertion 

 a large percentage, but even then we shall have a big balance. I don't 

 assume to know as much as other people about horses or how to take 

 care of them better, but not being quite as big a dunce as the friends 

 of Jorrocks appear to have been, I may be permitted to say a few words 

 about care of hunters, and as I had two or more at a time for nearly 

 five-and-twenty years, was always my own stud-groom, had them well 

 and fit, and seldom employed a veterinary surgeon, my methods of treat- 

 ment could not have been bad. 



I always kept my horses in roomy boxes, about 14ft. square and as 

 many high (if 20ft. high so much the better, as they cannot have too 

 much air and ventilation). Box stalls of greater area, than 14ft. square 

 are dangerous, for they give room for gambolling, in which a horse, 

 when fresh, indulges, and so often slips up. Be careful to avoid 

 draughts, and equally so to supply a constant current of fresh air. 

 Have your stable floor so constructed that the urine will flow off at 

 once. Don't overclothe horses, but, of course, have them warmly 

 clothed in winter after clipping, while exercising the same care to 

 ensure plenty of good, dry, clean litter. 



