Stables are generally too dark and too hot. They should be kept quite
cool, though without any draughts.
“A way,” says De Beranger, in Helps and Hints, “of making the most of
your horses, is to rise early in the summer, in order to do half your
day’s work before the heat of the day; for lying by the whole of the
rest of the day, not only affords a traveller time and opportunity for
examining what is worthy of being seen, but enables him to start with
horses quite fresh, and to finish the remaining stage after sunset: not
only will your horses go through their task with less labour in the
cool of the evening, but you will find them travel more freely towards
a resting-place, which darkness leads them to expect.”
A horse ought not to be ridden a stage while in physic, nor on the
day of its coming off. If he be pushed at first setting out on a
journey, or be compelled to make long stages, or be deprived of his
customary baits, he gets jaded, and every additional mile adds to his
uneasiness. Moreover, at setting out in the morning, a well-kept horse
is necessarily full of food, and consequently, until his great gut be
properly emptied, brisk action occasions uneasiness or pain, which
causes restlessness.
“When I travel on horseback,” says the same writer, “I make it a rule
to walk every seventh mile, be the roads ever so level: it affords a
wonderful relief both to man and horse, and, instead of producing a
loss of time, helps you on. When you dismount for such ends, always
slacken your girths, slightly lift up the saddle to let a little air
under it, and teach your horse (what he soon will learn) to walk
briskly by your side, and keep the step with you, taking care to hold
either of the reins lightly in your hand, and without shifting it over
the horse’s head. Your steed will soon give you demonstrations of his
gratitude, for he will be full of affectionate playfulness as he jogs
along at your side, only to be rivalled by his willingness to let you
mount after you have tightened the girths again. I need hardly tell you
not to put your arm or wrist through a rein whilst walking or running
by the side of a horse, for it is replete with danger. A good run with
one hand on the horse’s withers is pleasant, and greatly removes the
stiffness of the joints so frequently occasioned by much riding; but
the reins should be held between the fingers only, and rather loosely.”
Hence, it follows that, although expedition be indispensable, the horse
ought not to be put on his best pace at first, but considerably within
it. Even this pace should be for a short space only; the reins should
be loosened; the mouth played with; and if he do not evacuate, the pace
may be repeated once more,--unless, indeed, he sweat much with the
first, which is a sign of weakness, or that his dung is hard, and he
requires purging.
While on the journey, the rider should be less attentive to his horse’s
nice carriage of himself, than to his own encouragement of him, and
keeping him in good humour. Though generally he should raise his
horse’s head, yet when he flags in consequence of a long day or hard
work, he may indulge him with bearing a little more upon the bit than
he would in taking a mere airing exercise, or afternoon’s canter in the
Park. Keeping company with some other horseman facilitates a stage, by
the emulation it excites; so that a dull animal, which one can scarcely
get seven miles an hour from, will do nine or ten without fatigue when
in company.
In road-riding, a picker is indispensable both in winter and summer.
In winter, it is necessary to relieve the sole when snow accumulates
there. When, however, the traveller knows that snow is on the ground,
he may avoid the trouble of dismounting, by previously ordering his
horse’s soles to be payed over with tar, or with tallow having no salt
in it. At all times, when the roads have received fresh dressings, a
picker is indispensable, because a loose stone is very liable to lodge
in the hollow of the foot, and is dangerously driven backwards between
the frog and the shoe, at every step the horse takes.
Pace and length of stage must be adapted to the heat of the weather
in summer, and to the depth of the roads in winter; both seasons
having the effect of knocking up the horse. In either case, a cordial
promptly administered recovers him for the prosecution of his journey.
The cordial readiest provided, and which should be kept at hand by
the provident traveller, is in the form of a ball, and composed of
aniseeds, ginger, carraway, of each, powdered, half an ounce, and mixed
up with treacle and meal to the proper consistence. But good ale or
porter, from one pint to a quart, made warm, operates sooner, and, upon
emergency, is nearly as readily obtained as the ball.
Walking a horse the last mile, especially of a long stage, is a
practice highly beneficial. As, upon setting out, we should not go off
at the quickest pace, so upon coming in, we should not dash into our
quarters with the perspiration streaming from each pore, in the mild
season, nor covered over with dirt, in consequence of the pace, in wet
weather. Even in winter, the perspiration flies from a strong horse, if
in condition, upon coming in more sheltered places, and the practices
he is then subjected to are commonly of such a nature as to cause
disease in one way or another, in embryo, if not immediately.
The rider is greatly to be blamed who stands quietly by, or hides
himself in the parlour, while his horse is brought in hot, stripped of
every thing, and led about to cool, in the draught of a gateway, or has
the dirt washed off by plunging him in a horse-trough or pond, or his
legs brushed in cold water in the open yard, while pailfulls, at the
same time, are thrown over them; the consequence of all which is cough
or colic, bad eyes, swelled legs, or inflammation of some vital part,
which deprives the animal of life.
The horse should have a large and comfortable stall, and without any
door behind him, a draught from which, by blowing up his coat, might
expose him to cold. On coming in, after being coaxed to stale, he
should undergo (in winter-time in doors) a wisping all over with straw,
beginning at the head, and proceeding to the neck and fore-quarters.
His eyes, nostrils, &c., should also be cleansed with a sponge, and his
ears rubbed. He should, at the same time, have before him a lock of
sweet hay, in his rack, or a prickle, or the hand; and the rider should
see whether he eats or not, whether he enjoys the wisping, and whether
he chiefly evince a desire to lie down or a craving for food.
The girths having been already loosened, but the saddle still
remaining on his back, his head should be turned to the rack, and his
hind-quarters, legs, and belly, sheath and fork, wisped, and his feet
picked clean and washed. After this, the saddle should be removed by
sliding it back over the croupe; and the dressing be extended to the
withers, back, and so completely all over the carcass, until it is dry.
The saddle should be hung out, with the inside toward the sun; and when
the pannels have been duly aired and dried, they should be slightly
beaten and well brushed.
If the horse refuse the first proffer of hay, the rider may conclude
that he has been pushed too much, as to time or length. If he still
refuse his food, though the dressing be finished, he may be assured
that his stomach is disordered, and he must be cordialled. In winter,
a warm mash of malt is most eligible; but, if not at hand, a bran mash
with an admixture of oatmeal, and a quart of good ale, may be given. In
summer, a cordial ball will restore the tone of his stomach, without
increasing the heat of his body so much as a mash would. If he is not
aged, nor inured to cordialling, a small pail of stout water-gruel,
almost cold, excels all other cordials, and supersedes the necessity
of watering; he will take his supper an hour or so afterwards, with a
relish.
The traveller ought to look to every particular himself.--In the next
place, let him see that his horse gets his allowance of corn, that it
be good, and that it contain no indications of having been in a manger
before; for, in that case, he must wait by him until all the food is
devoured. Dry food is alone proper to travel upon, and oats are the
best; much hay being apt to engender flatulencies. When, however, a
very long stage is to be taken, or it is cold, dreary, wet, or windy,
a handful of crushed beans sustains him admirably, staying by him, and
imparting vigour for a long time. The horse should not be denied water
often; though too much at one time should not be given, nor, without
its being chilled, any immediately after being fed.
His feet and shoes should be looked to, to ascertain if aught require
repair, in order that it may be furnished as soon as he has recovered
from his fatigue.--His limbs, moreover, should be examined all over,
for cracks, pricked foot, &c., and the body, for saddle-galls, &c. Now,
as ever, his dunging should be looked to. Even if in full condition,
having been well and regularly fed, and as regularly worked, he will
contract a tendency to constipation; the least ill consequence of which
is defective pace, or short step, arising from more laboured action.
As the inconvenience may be suffered to last, he sweats immoderately
at the least extra exertion, his eyes lose their wonted brightness,
his mouth becomes hot, and his manner is languid. All these evils may
be prevented by timely physicking, whenever the dung is seen to fall
upon the ground without the pellets breaking. Even a little green food,
or a day’s mashing with bran, thin oatmeal gruel, and the like, will
soften the dung considerably. It must be remembered that these things
are to be undertaken on blank days, when the traveller is certain the
horse will not be ridden a stage. The following allowance per week is
generally enough to keep a horse in good condition:--
_Oats._ _Beans._ _Hay._
For a horse of from 14½ to 16 hands 1¾ bushel; 2 quarterns; 1¼ truss.
For a horse under 14½ hands 1½ bushel; 1½ quartern; 1 truss.