304 ON THE GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF HORSES. 
there be one left in, should be warned to be particular in keeping 1 
the doors shut whilst the troops are out at exercise. 
III. Again, when horses are brought in sweating from any con¬ 
siderable exertion either in the riding school or field, we frequently 
see the doors left open whilst they are in this state, by which, at 
some seasons of the year, they are subjected to a sudden chill 
and all the consequences of checked perspiration. Horses whilst 
heated should not be exposed to a cold current of air, but should 
be allowed to cool gradually and by degrees. 
IV. Some horses will eat their corn so much faster than others, 
that if no precaution be taken to prevent it, they will always get 
more than their own allowance, to the detriment of their neigh¬ 
bours. The non-commissioned officers should take notice of this, 
and never allow a slow and a greedy feeder to stand together. 
Greedy feeders are also apt to get into the habit of swallowing 
their corn whole, not giving themselves sufficient time to mas¬ 
ticate it: this circumstance should also be noticed, with a view to 
its being corrected. , 
V. When horses are observed to look dull, to refuse their food, 
or shew any signs of illness, they should be reported immediately ; 
for, in many instances, to detect disease in its infancy is to save 
the life of the animal. And it is a good practice, whenever a 
horse is thought at all unwell, to separate him from the rest, to 
place him in a corner by himself, and stop his corn; a precaution 
which will often prevent consequences more serious, and never 
ought to be neglected, more especially at an out-quarter. 
VI. Whenever a horse is sent into the hospital stable, the man 
who rides or owns him should also, if possible, be sent with him ; 
he will feel more interest in the recovery of the animal, and be 
more attentive to him than any other person. Instead of this, I 
have observed it is customary to pick out the most useless or least 
trusty man in the troop to attend the hospital stable; or else 
they make a fatigue duty of it, sending perhaps a fresh man every 
stable hour, who naturally gets through it in a harried and care¬ 
less manner. But the worst of this practice is, that the fresh 
man, not knowing any directions previously given, is very apt 
to get wrong with regard to feeding, &c. and in this way liable 
to do harm; so that, under circumstances where the animal re¬ 
quires the greatest degree of care and attention, he is often most 
neglected. When a horse is sick, the non-commissioned officers 
in general appear to think they have no longer any responsibility, 
and seem to abandon the animal, as it were, to his fate. As long 
as they make this a fatigue duty, so long, I will venture to say, 
will it continue to be done in a loose and unsatisfactory manner. 
