Technical Training of Stochmen. 
373 
subduing, rather than encouraging, his high-strung nervousness ! 
How many horses are spoilt by neglect of these points, and on the 
occasion of some slight fright or noise, make off, with a cart, waggon, 
or drill, perhaps doing much mischief, and for ever after requiring 
redoubled care and attention ! 
How essential it is, again, for a horseman to know something of 
the horse’s digestive functions, and to recognise that an overburdened 
plate, or manger, at any time is not the safest way to ensure his 
making a hearty meal ! The horse enjoys a clean manger, with a 
little food therein at a time, as much as his master prefers a clean 
plate without the whole of his dinner placed thereon at once. 
Further, it is against the laws of Nature, after a horse has made a 
good meal, for him to be put directly to hard and quick work ; it is 
better far to start steadily, and, after an hour or so, to proceed more 
briskly and do what has to be done, allowing time to slacken the pace 
again before leaving off, and thus bringing the horse into his stable 
cool, and fit to either eat or drink without fear of gripes, &c. 
Let the horseman know that much of his worth to his master de- 
pends upon the manner in which he studies the comfort of his horses 
during their labour. If a horse’s head is reined up too tightly, or his 
jaw is tied down to his chest, or if, as I have seen, both horses on a 
plough are so tied to each other that neither has freedom of motion, 
and consequently works fretfully all day, we have in such cases about 
as sure a method of working the flesh off an animal as can be devised, 
besides inflicting positive pecuniary injury upon the master. Let 
the horseman be instructed as to the why and wherefore of the 
things he daily sees. Teach him wdiy it is wrong, cruel, and cowardly 
to place his twelve or fourteen stone w^eight directly upon the loins 
of a mare heavy in foal, and thus ride jolting to and from his work ; 
why, w'hen the animal is in this condition, great care is necessary 
during frosty weather, &c. Let him be made familiar with the 
shape and make of different horses’ shoulders, and be taught so to 
adjust the trace and seals on a collar as to command the most 
leverage or draught power. Let him be instructed in the formation of 
the horse’s foot, as an aid to which Professor Brown’s pamphlet, 
“ The Structure of the Horse’s Foot,” will be found exceedingly useful. 
Let him be shown how standing in boxes, or stalls, or even in yards, 
on manure, is ruinous to the feet of the horse, and how necessary it 
is to keep the stable clean. In addition to the foregoing, those who 
have charge of horses should be made acquainted with all premo- 
nitory symptoms of the common complaints of the horse. Remedies 
might then often be resorted to befoi’e it is too late, on the principle 
that prevention is better than cure. 
With regard to cattle, cow^s, cfec., instruct the man in charge 
that, if due regard is not paid to certain first principles or condi- 
tions, it is absolutely useless to look for profitable results ; that a 
certain amount of w^armth or heat must first be generated from the 
food consumed before an ox will fatten, or a cow give her maximum 
quantity of milk ; that a filthy wet bed tends to great discomfort, 
and that to gain the full amount of beef op milk the surroundings 
