588 REMARKS ON TIIE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 
constitution, &c., until he has been often upon his back, as well 
as had opportunities of observing him in the stable. All such prac¬ 
tical and useful information being obtainable only through actual 
observation and experience, accounts for its having been hitherto 
principally confined to the possession of grooms, who have 
thereby derived an advantage over professional men that must 
ever prove annoying, if not derogatory, to the latter. It is, how¬ 
ever, quite in their power to guard against such annoyances, by 
making themselves equally well acquainted with “stable manage¬ 
ment ;” the principles of which their minds are already furnished 
with ; all that is further required being observation and experience 
to reduce them to practice. In the schools, principles precede prac¬ 
tice : in the stable,practice not only precedes, but is too apt to super¬ 
sede all principles. Our friend Nimrod discourses about “a sensible 
and rational groom;” but really such an animal has hardly, to our 
remembrance, crossed our path ; we feeling inclined to hold that 
groom to be the best of his species, who, knowing well his pecu¬ 
liar handicraft, will implicitly follow the mandates and attend to 
the directions of his master. 
The present work consists of a compilation of “letters,” 
originally published in the Sporting Magazine, with the professed 
intention of exposing the errors of the custom of turning hunters 
out to grass at the conclusion of the hunting season, and there 
letting them remain until within six or eight weeks of its re¬ 
commencement; an interval during which, according to our 
author, at grass they become deteriorated instead of benefitted, 
and reduced down to a state from which it takes double the 
time allowed to get them up into condition again. In place of 
this mode of reposing and refreshing the hunter, Nimrod’s 
“system” consists in— 
“ Never to give a hunter what is called a ‘ summer’s run at 
grass ;”and, except under particular and very favourable circum¬ 
stances, never to turn him out at all.” 
The evils arising from the old plan of proceeding, Nimrod ju¬ 
diciously considers “ as regards the state of their bodies;” and 
“ in reference to that of their legs and feet.” 
In respect to those befalling the body, according to our author, 
“ the load of bad flesh he acquires in this state (turned out to 
grass, and foul too) may be termed a sort of ‘ oleaginous dropsy,’ 
the effect of a general atony of the absorbents , created by the 
immense quantity of succulent food he devours , and by the sud¬ 
den stop put to the evacuations , and other means resorted to 
when in regular work.” Not even being “cleansed by physic,” 
before they are turned out, “can prevent these evils.” —“ To 
say nothing of the accidents they are subject to when turned 
out.” The disorders produced “ by their being at liberty to 
