200 THE HORSE. 



the road. Some horses can scarcely be prevented by any care of 

 their grooms from pulling off a shoe in hunting when they get 

 into deep ground, .but on the road there is no such excuse, and tha 

 frequent loss of a shoe by the hack or harness-horse is sufficient 

 to condemn the groom of carelessness in this particular. Every 

 morning when the feet are picked out it is easy to look the shoes 

 over and feel if they are tight. The clenches also ought to be 

 examined, and if they are not raised at all it may safely be predi- 

 cated that the day's journey will be completed without the shoe 

 being lost. A raised clench may severely cut a horse on the inside 

 of the other leg, and in those who are predisposed to "speedy 

 cut" it may cause severe injury, and perhaps occasion a fall of the 

 most dangerous character. 



DAILY EXERCISE. 



Without regular exercise no horse can long be kept in 

 health, and I believe that as far as this point is concerned even 

 those which are hard worked would be the better for half an 

 hour's airing every morning as soon as they have been fed and 

 before they are dressed. But those masters who are particular 

 about the mouths of the animals they ride or drive, find that the 

 hands of their grooms are generally so heavy that they spoil the 

 delicate "feel" on which the comfort and pleasure of riding and 

 driving so much depends. Hence in such cases the poor horse is 

 condemned to confinement in his stable, not only on the day when 

 he is to be ridden or driven, but on those also when he is to be 

 idle. The health of the body is sacrificed to the maintenance of 

 that delicate condition of the mouth which is so highly prized by 

 good horsemen and accomplished whips, and I confess that I plead 

 guilty to having for a long series of years acted on this principle. 

 A fair share of health may be maintained without exercise if the 

 work is never interrupted for more than a single day, and at the 

 same time there being only one pair of hands to interfere with 

 the mouth, its delicacy is not impaired, that is to say if they are 

 not as bad as those of the groom. Sometimes a large and smooth 

 snaffle is allowed as an exercise bridle, in the hope that it cannot 

 injure the mouth, but even this will do mischief if the weight of 

 the rider is thrown upon it, as is too often the case. Leaving out 

 of the question this objection to the adoption of exercise, there 

 can be no doubt that a daily walk out of doors for half an hour 

 or an hour, especially if it can be managed on turf, will be of the 

 greatest service to the horse's health. 



PROPER TEMPERATURE OE THE STABLE. 



There is scarcely any point upon which there is so much 

 difference of opinion, as in relation to the temperature of stables. 



