654 REMARKS ON THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 
though he cannot feed his horse too well, should keep him in a 
cool stable. 
“ Another argument against hot stables is, that horses kept 
in them are liable to catch cold in bad weather by the covert’s 
side. My answer to this is, that if the rider will not let his 
horse stand still too long, and will keep on his back f there is no 
danger of his catching cold. There is considerable warmth in 
the pressure of the saddle 1o a horse’s back with weight upon 
it; and there is that kind of animation in horses with hounds 
which keeps their blood in circulation.” 
“ Now I think I have said enough on the subject of getting 
hunters into condition; the next thing is to keep them in it. 
In bringing a hunter round again, good stable management is 
put to the test. One man will bring a horse out again in four 
clear days better than another will in six. No servant can do 
his duty to a stud of hunters without proper materials to go to 
work with. He must have a good stable, some loose boxes, 
and a good saddle-room with a fire-place; lots of horse-clothes 
of all descriptions, bandages, hot water, gruel, lancets , tweezers, 
and a few drugs; the very best old hay and corn, good exercising 
ground, and, above all, plenty of strength in his stable ; for 
there are two ways of dressing a horse—one to warm him, the 
other to starve him.” 
“ Generally speaking, a horse should come out about the 
sixth day after the severest run. If his legs have received no 
injury, he should come out three times a fortnight, at least, 
during the open weather ; and he will be better for being out 
twice a week, if there have been no tiring days.” 
“ General rules cannot be individually applied ; but there is 
one respecting a hunter which I have held inviolable, and that 
is, that under all circumstances, wdiether the intervals between 
his hunting have been long or short, he should have a sweat, 
and (afterwards) go for a mile nearly at the top of his speed on 
the day before hunting.” 
In regard to feeding on the day before hunting, “ if a horse 
will eat his corn in the morning without water, he should have 
none till he comes in from exercise, and is done up, which 
should be by ten o’clock at farthest. He should then have 
half-a-pail of water, and a proportion of his hay, which should 
not exceed ten pounds a-day. He should then be put up till 
four, when, before he is dressed over, he should have another 
half pail of water, and no more until he returns from hunting 
the next day, unless it be a few swallow's on the morning he 
hunts, when his groom first comes to him. If this quantity of 
hay is not sufficient to satisfy his appetite, and there is an ap- 
