BREEDING.
A few words only of observation would I make on this subject.[3]
Palpably our horses, especially racers and hunters, are degenerating in
size and power, owing mainly, it is to be feared, to the parents being
selected more for the reputation they have gained as winners carrying
feather-weights, than for any symmetrical development or evidence of
enduring power under the weight of a man. We English might take a useful
lesson in selecting parental stock from the French, who reject our theory
of breeding from animals simply because they have reputation in the
racing calendars, and who breed from none but those which have _shape_
and _power_, as well as blood and performance, to recommend them. They
are also particular to avoid using for stud purposes such animals as may
exhibit indications of any _constitutional unsoundness_.
SELECTING.
In selecting an animal, the character of the work for which he is
required should be taken into consideration. For example, in choosing
a hack, you will consider whether he is for riding or for draught. In
choosing a hunter, you must bear in mind the peculiar nature of the
country he will have to contend with.
A horse should at all times have sufficient _size_ and power for the
weight he has to move. It is an act of cruelty to put a small horse, be
his courage and breeding ever so good, to carry a heavy man or draw a
heavy load. With regard to colour, some sportsmen say, and with truth,
that “a good horse can’t be a bad colour, no matter what his shade.”
Objection may, however, be reasonably made to pie-balls, skew-balls, or
cream-colour, as being too conspicuous,—moreover, first-class animals of
these shades are rare; nor are the roan or mouse-coloured ones as much
prized as they should be.
Bay, brown, or dark chestnuts,[4] black or grey horses, are about the
most successful competitors in the market, and may be preferred in the
order in which they are here enumerated. Very light chestnut, bay,
and white horses are said to be irritable in temper and delicate in
constitution.[5]
Mares are objected to by some as being occasionally uncertain in
temper and vigour, and at times unsafe in harness, from constitutional
irritation. More importance is attached to these assumed drawbacks
than they deserve; and though the price of the male is generally from
one-fourth to one-sixth more than that of the female, the latter will be
found to get through ordinary work quite as well as the former.
_To judge of the Age by the Teeth._—The permanent nippers, or front
teeth, in the lower jaw, are six. The two front teeth are cut and placed
at from two to three years of age; the next pair, at each side of the
middle ones, at from three and a half to four; and the corner pair
between four and a half and five years of age, when the tusks in the male
are also produced.
The marks or cavities in these nippers are effaced in the following
order:—At six years old they are worn out in the two centre teeth, at
seven in the next pair, and at eight in the corner ones, when the horse
is described as “aged.”
After this, as age advances, these nippers appear to change gradually
year by year from an oval to a more detached and triangular form, till
at twenty their appearance is completely triangular. After six the tusks
become each year more blunt, and the grooves, which at that age are
visible inside, gradually wear out.
_The Hack to Ride._—A horse with a small well-shaped head seldom proves
to be a bad one; therefore such, with small fine ears, should be sought
in the first instance.
It is particularly desirable that the shoulder of a riding hack should
be light and well-placed. A high-withered horse is by no means the best
for that purpose. Let the shoulder-blades be well slanted as the horse
stands, their points light in front towards the chest. Nor should there
be too wide a front; for such width, though well enough for draught, is
not necessary in a riding-horse, provided the chest and girth be _deep_.
As a matter of course the animal should be otherwise well formed, with
rather long pasterns (before but not behind),—the length of which
increases the elasticity of his movement on hard roads. His action should
be independent and high, bending the knees. If he cannot walk well—in
fact, with action so light that, as the dealers say, “he’d hardly break
an egg if he trod on it”—raising his legs briskly off the ground, when
simply led by the halter (giving him his head)—in other words, if he
walks “close to the ground”—he should be at once rejected.
With regard to the other paces, different riders have different fancies:
the trot and walk I consider to be the only important paces for a
gentleman’s ordinary riding-horse. It is very material, in selecting a
riding-horse, to observe how he holds his head in his various paces; and
to judge of this the intending purchaser should remark closely how he
works on the bit when ridden by the rough-rider, and he should also pay
particular attention to this point when he is himself on his back, before
selection is made.[6]
[Illustration: THE HACK]
Respecting soundness, though feeling fully competent myself to judge
of the matter, I consider the half-guinea fee to a veterinary surgeon
well-laid-out money, to obtain his professional opinion and a certificate
of the state of an animal, when purchasing a horse of any value.
_The Hack for Draught_ ought to be as well formed as the one just
described; but a much heavier shoulder and forehand altogether are
admissible.
No one should ever for a moment think of putting any harness-horse into
a private vehicle, no matter what his seller’s recommendation, without
first having him out in a single or double break, as the case may be, and
seeing him driven, as well as driving him himself, to make acquaintance
with the animal—in fact, _to find him out_.
_The Hunter_, like the hack, should be particularly well-formed before
the saddle. He should be deep in the girth, strong in the loins, with
full development of thigh, short and flat in the canon joint from the
knee to the pastern, with large flat hocks and sound fore legs. This
animal, like the road-horse, should lift his feet clear of the ground and
walk independently, with evidence of great propelling power in the hind
legs when put into a canter or gallop.
A differently-shaped animal is required for each kind of country over
which his rider has to be carried. In the midland counties and Yorkshire,
the large three-quarter or thorough-bred horse only will be found to have
pace and strength enough to keep his place. In close countries, such as
the south, south-west, and part of the north of England, a plainer-bred
and closer-set animal does best.
In countries where the fences are height jumps—a constant succession of
timber, or stone walls—one must look for a certain angularity of hip, not
so handsome in appearance, but giving greater leverage to lift the hind
legs over that description of fence.
A hunter should be all action; for if the rider finds he can be carried
safely across country, he will necessarily have more confidence, and
go straighter, not therefore requiring so much pace to make up for
round-about “gating” gaps and “craning.”[7]
BUYING.
If you propose purchasing from a dealer, take care to employ none but
a respectable man. It is also well to get yourself introduced to such
a one, by securing the good offices of some valuable customer of his
for the purpose; for such an introduction will stimulate any dealer who
values his character to endeavour by his dealings to sustain it with his
patron.
[Illustration: THE WEIGHT-CARRYING HUNTER]
_Auction._—An auction is a dangerous place for the uninitiated to
purchase at. If, however, it should suit you to buy in that manner,
the best course to pursue is to visit the stables on the days previous
to the sale, for in all well-regulated repositories the horses are in
for private inspection from two to three days before the auction-day.
Taking, if possible, one good judge with you, eschewing the opinions of
all grooms and others—in fact, fastening the responsibility of selection
on the one individual—make for yourself all the examination you possibly
can, in or out of stable, of the animal you think likely to suit you.
There is generally _a way_ of finding out some of the antecedents of the
horses from the men about the establishment.
_Fairs._—To my mind it is preferable to purchase at fairs rather than
at an auction: indeed, a judge will there have much more opportunity of
comparison than elsewhere.
_Private Purchase._—In buying from a private gentleman or acquaintance,
it is not unusual to get a horse on trial for three or four days. Many
liberal dealers, if they have faith in the animal they want to dispose
of, and in the intending purchaser, will permit the same thing.
_Warranty._—As observed under the head of “Selecting,” it is never wise
to conclude the purchase of a horse without having him examined by a
professional veterinary surgeon, and getting a certificate of his actual
state. If the animal be a high-priced one, a warranty should be claimed
from the seller as a _sine qua non_; and if low-priced, a professional
certificate is desirable, stating the extent of unsoundness, for your own
satisfaction.[8]
STABLING.
_Ventilation_ is a matter of the first importance in a stable. The means
of ingress and egress of air should be always three or four feet higher
than the range of the horses’ heads, for two simple reasons: first,
when an animal comes in warm, it is not well to have cold air passing
directly on the heated surface of his body; and, in the second place,
the foul air, being the lightest, always ascends, and you give it the
readiest mode of exit by placing the ventilation high up. The common
louver window, which can never be completely closed, is the best ordinary
ventilator.
_Drainage_ ought to be closely investigated. The drains should run
so as to remove the traps or grates outside the stable, or as far as
possible from the horses, in order to keep the effluvium _away_ from
them. All foul litter and mass should be removed frequently during the
day; straw and litter ought not to be allowed to remain under a horse
in the daytime, unless it be considered expedient that he should rest
lying down, in which case let him be properly bedded and kept as quiet
as possible. In many cases the practice of leaving a small quantity of
litter in the stall is a fine cloak for deposit and urine left unswept
underneath, emitting that noxious ammonia with which the air of most
stables is so disagreeably impregnated that on entering them from the
fresh air you are almost stifled.
Masters who object to their horses standing on the bare pavement can
order that, after the stall is thoroughly cleaned and swept out, a thin
layer of straw shall be laid over the stones during the daytime. In
dealers’ and livery stables, and indeed in some gentlemen’s, the pavement
is sanded over, which has a nice appearance, and prevents slipping.
When the foul litter is abstracted, and the straw bedding taken from
under the horse, none of it should be pushed away under the manger;
let it be entirely removed: and in fair weather, or where a shed is
available, the bedding should be shaken out, to thoroughly dry and let
the air pass through it.
Wheaten is more durable than oaten straw for litter: but the fibre
of the former is so strong that it will leave marks on the coat of a
fine-skinned animal wherever it may be unprotected by the clothing;
however, this is not material.
_Light_ should be freely admitted into stables, not only that the grooms
may be able to see to clean the horses properly, and to do all the
stable-work, but if horses are kept in the dark it is natural that they
should be more easily startled when they go into full daylight,—and such
is always the consequence of badly-lighted stables. Of course, if a horse
is ailing, and sleep is absolutely necessary for him, he should be placed
separate in a dark quiet place.
_Stalls_ should be wide, from six to seven feet across if possible,
yielding this in addition to other advantages, that if the partitions
are extended by means of bars to the back wall, either end stall can be
turned into a loose-box sufficiently large to serve in an emergency.
_A Loose-Box_ is unquestionably preferable to a stall (in which a horse
is tied up all the time he is not at work in nearly the same position),
and is indispensable in cases of illness. Loose-boxes should be paved
with narrow bricks; and when prepared for the reception of an animal
whose shoes have been removed, the floor should be covered with sawdust
or tan, or either of these mixed with fine sandy earth, or, best of all,
peat-mould when procurable,—any of which, where the indisposition is
confined to the feet _only_, may be kept slightly moistened with water to
cool them.
In cases of general illness, straw should be used for bedding; and where
the poor beast is likely to injure himself in paroxysms of pain, the
walls or partitions should be well padded in all parts within his reach,
and as a further precaution let the door be made to open outwards, and be
fastened by a bolt, as latches sometimes cause accidents.
_Partitions_ should be carried high enough towards the head to prevent
the horses from being able to bite one another, or get at each other’s
food.
With regard to stable-kickers, see the remarks on this subject under the
head of “Vice” (page 85).
_Racks and Mangers_ are now made of iron, so that horses can no longer
gnaw away the manger piecemeal. Another improvement is that of placing
the rack on a level with and beside the manger, instead of above the
horses’ heads; but notwithstanding this more reasonable method of feeding
hay when whole, it is far preferable to give it as manger-food cut into
chaff.
_Flooring._—In the construction of most stables a cruel practice is
thoughtlessly adopted by the way of facilitating drainage (and in
dealers’ stables to make horses look large), viz., that of raising the
paving towards the manger considerably above the level of the rear part.
It should be borne in mind that the horse is peculiarly sensitive to any
strain on the insertions of the back or flexor tendons of his legs. Thus
in stalls formed as described, you will see the creature endeavouring to
relieve himself by getting his toes down between the flags or stones (if
the pavement will admit) with the heels resting upon the edges of them;
and if the fastening to the head be long enough he will draw back still
farther, until he can get his toes down into the drain-channel behind his
stall, with the heels upon the opposite elevation of the drain. Proper
pavement in your stable will help to alleviate a tendency towards what is
called “clap of the back sinew.”—See page 143.
The slope of an inch and a half or two inches is sufficient for purposes
of drainage in paving stables; but if the drainage can be managed so as
to allow of the flooring being made quite level, so much the better.
Should my reader be disposed to build stabling, he cannot do better than
consult the very useful and practical work entitled ‘Stonehenge, or the
Horse in the Stable and in the Field.’
The horse being a gregarious animal, and much happier in society than
alone, will, in the absence of company of his own species, make friends
with the most sociable living neighbour he can find. A horse should not
be left solitary if it can be avoided.
_Dogs_ should never be kept in the stable with horses, or be permitted
to be their playfellows, on account of the noxious emissions from their
excrement. _Cats_ are better and more wholesome companions.
GROOMING.
I do not profess to teach grooms their business, but to put masters on
their guard against the common errors and malpractices of that class; and
with a view to that end, two or three general rules are added which a
master would do well to enforce on a groom when hiring him, as binding,
under pain of dismissal.
1. Never to doctor a horse himself, but to acquaint his master
immediately with any accident, wound, or symptom of indisposition
about the animal, that may come under his observation, and which, if
in existence, ought not to fail to attract the attention of a careful,
intelligent servant during constant handling of and attendance on his
charge.
2. Always to exercise the horses in the place appointed by his master for
the purpose, and _never_ to canter or gallop them.
3. To stand by while a horse is having its shoes changed or removed, and
see that any directions he may have received on the subject are carried
out.
4. Never to clean a horse out of doors.
These rules are recommended under a just appreciation of that golden one,
“Prevention is better than cure.”
If the master is satisfied with an ill-groomed horse, nine-tenths of the
grooms will be so likewise; therefore he may to a great extent blame
himself if his bearer’s dressing is neglected.
Grooms are especially fond of using water in cleaning the horse (though
often rather careful how they use it with themselves, either inside or
out): it saves them trouble, to the great injury of the animal. The same
predominating laziness which prompts them to use water for the removal of
mud, &c., in preference to employing a dry wisp or brush for the purpose,
forbids their exerting themselves to employ the proper means of drying
the parts cleaned by wet. They will have recourse to any expedient to dry
the skin rather than the legitimate one of friction. Over the body they
will place cloths to soak up the wet; on the legs they will roll their
favourite bandages. It is best, therefore, to forbid the use of water
above the hoof for the purpose of cleaning—except with the mane and tail,
which should be properly washed with soap and water occasionally.
When some severe work has been done, so as to occasion perspiration, the
ears should not be more neglected than the rest of the body; and when
they are dried by hand-rubbing and pulling, the horse will feel refreshed.
As already recommended, cleaning out of doors should be forbidden. If one
could rely on the discretion of servants, cleaning might be done outside
occasionally in fine weather; but licence on this score being once given,
the probability is that your horse will be found shivering in the open
air on some inclement day.
The groom always uses a picker in the process of washing and cleaning
the feet, to dislodge all extraneous matter, stones, &c., that may have
been picked up in the clefts of the frog and thereabouts; he also washes
the foot with a long-haired brush. In dry weather, after heavy work, it
is good to stop the fore feet with what is called “stopping” (cow-dung),
which is not difficult to procure. Wet clay is sometimes used in London
for the purpose in the absence of cow-dung. Very useful, too, in such
case will be found a stopping composed of one part linseed-meal to two
parts bran, wetted, and mixed to a sticking consistency.
The evidence of care in the groomed appearance of the mane and tail
looks well. An occasional inspection of the mane by the master may be
desirable, by turning over the hairs to the reverse side; any signs of
dirt or dandriff found cannot be creditable to the groom.
_Bandaging._—When a hunter comes in from a severe day, it is an excellent
plan to put _rough_ bandages (provided for the purpose) on the legs,
leaving them on while the rest of the body is cleaning; it will be found
that the mud and dirt of the legs will to a great extent fall off in
flakes on their removal, thus reducing the time employed in cleaning.
When his legs are cleaned and well hand-rubbed, put on the usual-sized
flannel bandages. They should never remain on more than four or six
hours, and when taken off (not to be again used till the next severe
work) the legs should be once more hand-rubbed.
Bandages ought not to be used under other circumstances than the above,
except by order of a veterinary surgeon for unsoundness.
In some cases of unsoundness—such as undue distension of the bursæ,
called “wind-galls,” the effect of work—a linen or cotton bandage kept
continually saturated with water, salt and water, or vinegar, and not
much tightened, may remain on the affected legs; but much cannot be said
for the efficacy of the treatment.
For what is called “clap,” or supposed distension of the back sinew
(which is in reality no distension of the tendon, as that is said to be
impossible, though some of its fibres may be injured, but inflammation of
the sheath through which the tendon passes), the cold lotion bandaging
just described, in connection with the directions given under the head of
“Shoeing” (page 82), will be found very serviceable.
_Grooms’ Requisites_ are usually understood to comprise the following
articles:—a body-brush, water-brush, dandriff or “dander” brush,
picker, scraper, mane-comb, curry-comb, pitchfork, shovel and broom,
manure-basket, chamois-leather, bucket, sponges, dusters, corn-sieve, and
measures; leather boot for poultices, clyster syringe (requiring especial
caution in use—_see_ page 159, note), drenching-horn, bandages (woollen
and linen); a box with a supply of stopping constantly at hand; a small
store of tow and tar, most useful in checking the disease called thrush
(page 135) before it assumes a chronic form; a lump of rock-salt, ready
to replace those which should be always kept in the mangers to promote
the general health of the animals as well as to amuse them by licking
it; a lump of chalk, ready at any time for use (in the same manner as
rock-salt) in the treatment of some diseases, as described, pages 154 and
160.
_Singeing_, there is little doubt, tends to improve the condition of the
animal; so much so, that timid users do well to remember that animals
which, before the removal of their winter coat, required perpetual
reminders of the whip, will, directly they are divested of that covering,
evince a spirit, vigour, and endurance which had remained, perhaps, quite
unsuspected previously. In fact, in most cases, the general health and
appetite seem to be improved.
Singeing, when severe rapid work is done, enables the horse to perform
his task with less distress, and when it is over, facilitates his being
made comfortable in the shortest possible space of time.
Singeing, if done early in the winter, requires to be repeated lightly
three or four times during the season.
_Clipping_ has exactly the same effect as the above, and is preferable
to it only in cases where, the animal’s coat being extremely long, extra
labour, loss of time, and flame, are avoided by the clipping process.
Singeing is best with the lighter coats, but sometimes thin skinned and
coated animals are too nervous and excitable to bear the flame near them
for this purpose, in which case the cause of alarm ought obviously to be
avoided, and clipping resorted to.
It is worth while to employ the best manipulators to perform these
operations.
With horses intended for slow and easy work, and liable to continued
exposure to the weather, singeing or clipping only the under part of the
belly, and the long hairs of the legs, will suffice. Unless neatly and
tastily done, this is very unsightly on a gentleman’s horse. Clipping, if
not done till the beginning of December, seldom requires repetition.
In stony and rough countries, it is the habit of judicious horsemen to
leave the hair on their hunters’ legs from the knees and hocks down, as a
protection to them.
HALTERING.
_The Head-Stall_ should fit a horse, and have a proper brow-band; it
is ridiculous to suppose that the same sized one can suit all heads.
Ordinary head-stalls have only one buckle, which is on the throat-lash
near-side; and if the stall be made to _fit_, that is sufficient.
_Otherwise_ there should be three buckles, one on each side of the
cheek-straps, besides the one on the throat-lash.
Let the fastening from the head-stall to the log be of rope or leather.
Chain fastenings are objectionable, because, besides being heavy, they
are very apt to catch in the ring, and they make a fearful noise,
especially where there are many horses in the stable. By having rope or
leather as a fastener, instead of chain, the log may be lighter (of wood
instead of iron), and the less weight there is to drag the creature’s
head down, the less the distress to him. Poll-evil (page 117), it is
said, has frequently resulted from the pressure of the head-stall on the
poll, occasioned by heavy pendants.
Chains are more durable, and that is all that can be said in their
favour, except that they may be necessary for a few vicious devils who
are up to the trick of severing the rope or leather with their teeth.
See that the log is sufficiently heavy to keep the rope or leather at
stretch, and that the manger-ring is large enough to allow the fastening
to pass freely. If the log is too light, or the manger-ring too small,
the likely result will be that the log will remain close up under the
ring, the fastening falling into a sort of loop, through which the horse
most probably introduces his foot, and, in his consequent alarm and
efforts to disentangle his legs, chucks up his head, and away he goes on
his side, gets “_halter-cast_,” most likely breaks one of his hind legs
in his struggles to regain his footing, or at least dislocates one of
their joints.
CLOTHING.
Opinions differ materially as to the amount of clothing that ought to
be used in the stable. My view of the matter is, that a stable being,
as it should be, thoroughly ventilated, necessitates the horses in it
being to a certain extent kept warm by clothing. An animal that has not
been divested of his own coat by clipping or singeing, will require very
little covering indeed; for nature’s provision, being sufficient to
protect him out of doors, ought surely to suffice in the stable, with
a very slight addition of clothing. If he has been clipped or singed,
covering enough to make up for what he has lost ought to be ample: by
going beyond this the horse is only made tender, and more susceptible of
the influences of the atmosphere when he comes to be exposed to it with
only a saddle on his back.
In parts of North America, I have observed, where the stables are built
roughly of wood, with many fissures to admit the weather, horses are
seldom, if ever, sheeted. They are certainly rarely divested of their
coats; but during work, as occasion may require, it is usual for the
rider, when stopping at any place, to leave his horse “hitched” (as they
call it) to any convenient post or tree, in all weathers, and for any
length of time, and these horses scarcely ever catch cold.
The best _Sheet_ is formed of a rug (sizeable enough to meet across the
breast and extend to the quarters), by simply cutting the slope of the
neck out of it, and fastening the points across the breast by two straps
and buckles.
The _Hood_ need only be used when the horse is at walking exercise, or
likely to be exposed to weather, or for the purpose of sweating, when a
couple of them, with two or three sheets, may be used.—_See_ page 32.
Horse-clothing should be, at least once a-week, taken _outside_ the
stable, and well beaten and _shaken_ like a carpet.
_Rollers_ should be looked to from time to time, to see that the pads
of the roller _do not meet within three or four inches_ (over the
backbone),—in other words, there should be always a clear channel over
it, nearly large enough to pass the handle of a broom through, so as
to avoid the possibility of the upper part of the roller even touching
the sheet over the spinal ridge, which, if permitted, will be sure to
cause a sore back, to the great injury of the horse and his master,
arousing vicious habits in the former to resent any touch, necessary or
unnecessary, of the sore place on so sensitive a part, and rendering
him irritable when clothing, saddling, or harnessing, or if a hand even
approach the tender place.
This is so troublesome a consequence of not paying attention to the
padding of rollers, that a master will do well to examine them himself
for his own satisfaction.
_Knee-Caps._—On all occasions when a valuable horse is taken by a servant
on road or rail, his knees should be protected by caps. The only way to
secure them is to fasten them tightly _above_ the knee, where elastic
straps are decidedly preferable, leaving the fastening below the knee
slack.
_A Leather Boot_, lined with sponge, or one of felt with a strong leather
sole, should be ready in every stable to be used as required, in cases of
sudden foot-lameness.
FEEDING.
The cavalry allowances are 12 lb. hay, 10 lb. oats, and 8 lb. straw
daily, which, I know by experience, will keep a healthy animal in
condition with the work required from a dragoon horse, of the severity of
which none but those acquainted with that branch of the service have any
idea.
Until he is perfectly fit for the ranks, between riding-school,
field-days, and drill, the troop-horse has quite work enough for any
beast. I may add that few horses belonging to officers of cavalry get
more than the above allowance, unless when _regularly_ hunted, in which
case additional corn and beans are given.
With severe work, 14 lb. to 16 lb. of oats, and 12 lb. of hay, which is
the general allowance in well-regulated hunting-stables, ought to be
sufficient. Beans are also given in small quantity.
Some persons feed their horses three times a-day, but it is better to
divide their food into four daily portions, watering them, at least half
an hour before each feed.
The habit which some grooms have of feeding while they are teazing an
animal with the preliminaries of cleaning, is very senseless, as the
uneasiness horses are sure to exhibit under anything like grooming causes
them to knock about their heads and scatter their food. On a journey,
according to the call upon the system by the increased amount of work,
so should the horse’s feeding be augmented by one-third, one-fourth, or
one-half more than usual. A few beans or pease may well be added under
such circumstances.
In stables where the stalls are divided by bales or swinging-bars, the
horses when feeding should have their heads so tied as to prevent them
from consuming their neighbour’s food, or the result would be that the
greedy or more rapid eaters would succeed in devouring more than their
fair share, while the slower feeders would have to go on short commons.
_Oats_ ought _always_ to be _bruised_, as many horses, whether from
greediness in devouring their food, or from their teeth being incapable
of grinding, swallow them whole; and it is a notorious fact that oats,
unless masticated, pass right through the animal undigested.
When supplies have been very deficient with forces in the field, the
camp-followers have been known to exist upon the grain extracted from the
droppings of the horses.
It should be remembered that not more than at the utmost two days’
consumption of oats should be bruised at a time, as they soon turn sour
in that state, and are thus unfit for the use of that most delicate
feeder, the horse. All oats before being bruised should be well sifted,
to dispose of the gravel and dust which are always present in the grain
as it comes from the farmer. Unbruised oats, if ever used, should be
similarly prepared before being given in feed.
_Hay_ ought always to be cut into chaff or may be mixed with the corn,
which is the only way to insure the proper proportion being given at a
feed. When the hay is not cut but fed from the rack, never more than 3
lb. should be put in the rack at a time. If desirable to give as much as
12 lb. daily, let the rack be filled six times in twenty-four hours.
_Beans_ must be invariably split or bruised. It is better to give a
higher price for English beans than to use the Egyptian at any price; the
latter are said to be impregnated with the eggs of insects, which adhere
to the lining of the horse’s stomach, causing him serious injury. In
India horses are principally fed on a kind of small pea called “gram”—in
the United States their chief food is maize; the oat-plant not succeeding
well in either of those regions.
_Bran._—Food should be varied occasionally, and all horses not actually
in training ought to have a bran-mash once a-week. The best time to give
this is for the first feed after the work is done, on the day preceding
the rest day, whenever that may be.
Even hunters, after a hard day, will eat the bran with avidity, and it is
well to give it for the first meal. Its laxative qualities render it a
sedative and cooler in the half-feverish state of system induced by the
exertion and excitement of the chase; and according to my experience,
if given just after the work is done, the digestive process, relaxed by
the bran, has full time to recover itself by the grain-feeding before
the next call is made on the horse’s powers. If the bran is not liked, a
little bruised oats may be mixed through it to tempt the palate. Whole
grains of oats should never be mixed with bran, as they must of necessity
be bolted with the latter, and passed through the animal entire.
_Mash._—When only doing ordinary work, the following mash should be given
to each horse on Saturday night after work, supposing your beasts to rest
on Sunday:—
Put half a pint of linseed in a two-quart pan with an even edge; pour on
it one quart of boiling water, cover it close, and leave to soak for four
hours.
At the same time moisten half a bucket of bran with a gallon of water.
When the linseed has soaked for four hours, a hole must be made in the
middle of the bran, and the linseed mass mixed into the bran mass. The
whole forms one feed. Should time be an object, boil slowly half a pint
of linseed in two quarts of water, and add it to half a bucket of bran
which had been previously steeped for half an hour or an hour in a gallon
of water.
If a cold is present, or an animal is delicate, the bran can be saturated
with boiling water, of which a little more can be added to warm it when
given.
_Carrots_, when a horse is delicate, will be found acceptable, and
are both nutritious and wholesome as food. In spring and summer, when
vetches or other green food can be had, an occasional treat of that sort
conduces to health where the work is sufficiently moderate to admit
of soft feeding. When horses are coating in spring or autumn, or weak
from fatigue or delicacy, the addition to their food of a little more
nutriment may be found beneficial. The English white pea is milder and
not so heating as beans, and may be given half a pint twice daily, mixed
with the ordinary feeding, for from one to three or four weeks, as may be
deemed advisable.
When an animal is “off his feed,” as it is called, attention should be
immediately directed to his manger, which is often found to be shamefully
neglected, the bottom of it covered with gravel, or perhaps the ends
and corners full of foul matter, such as the sour remains of the last
bran-mash and other half-masticated leavings.
The introduction of any greasy or fetid matter into a horse’s food will
effectually prevent this dainty creature from touching it. It used to be
a common practice at hostelries in the olden time, to rub the teeth of a
traveller’s horse with a tallow candle or a little oil; thus causing the
poor beast to leave his food untouched for the benefit of his unfeeling
attendant.
Again, the oats or hay may be found, on close examination, to be musty,
which causes them to be rejected by the beast.
Where no palpable cause for loss of appetite can be discovered, reference
should be made to a qualified veterinary surgeon, who will examine the
animal’s mouth, teeth, and general state of health, and probably report
that the lining of the cheeks is highly inflamed in some part, owing
to undue angularity or decay of the teeth, and he will know how to act
accordingly.
When horses are on a journey, or a long ride home after hunting, some
people recommend the use of gruel; but, from experience, I prefer giving
a handful of wetted hay in half a bucket of _tepid_ water, or ale or
porter.—_See_ page 37.
_Feeding on Board Ship_ should be confined to chaff and bran, mixed with
about one-fourth the usual quantity of _bruised_ oats.
Though horses generally look well when “full of flesh,” there are many
reasons why they should not be allowed to become fat after the fashion
of a farmer’s “stall-feds.” Some really good grooms think this form of
condition the pink of perfection. They are mistaken. An animal in such
a state is quite unfit to travel at any fast pace or bear continued
exertion without injury, and may therefore be considered so far useless.
He is also much more liable to contract disease, and if attacked by such
the constitution succumbs more readily.
Moreover, the superfluous weight of the cumbrous flesh and fat tends to
increase the wear and tear of the legs; and if the latter be at all light
from the knee to the pastern, they are more likely to suffer.
On the other hand, it may be well to observe, by way of caution, that it
is by no means good management to let a horse become at any time reduced
to _actual leanness_ through overwork or deficient feeding. _It is far
easier to pull down than to put up flesh_.
These hints on feeding may be closed with a remark, that in all large
towns _contractors_ are to be found ready and willing to enter into
contract for feeding gentlemen’s horses by the month or year. This is
a very desirable arrangement for masters, but one frequently objected
to by servants, who, however, in such cases can easily be replaced by
application to the dealer, he having necessarily excellent opportunities
of meeting with others as efficient.
Contractors should not be allowed to supply more than two or three days’
forage at a time.
WATERING.
Horses are greater epicures in water than is generally supposed, and
will make a rush for some favourite spring or rivulet where water
may have once proved acceptable to their palate, when that of other
drinking-places has been rejected or scarcely touched.
The groom’s common maxim is to water twice a-day, but there is little
doubt that horses should have access to water more frequently, being,
like ourselves or any other animal, liable from some cause—some slight
derangement of the stomach, for instance—to be more thirsty at one time
than another; and it is a well-known fact that, where water is easily
within reach, these creatures never take such a quantity at a time as
to unfit them for _moderate work_ at any moment. If an arrangement for
continual access to water be not convenient, horses should be watered
before every feed, or at least thrice a-day, the first time being in the
morning, an hour before feeding (which hour will be employed in grooming
the beast); and it may be observed that there is no greater aid to
increasing their disposition to put up flesh, than giving them as much
water as they like before and after every feed.
A horse should never be watered when heated, or on the eve of any
extraordinary exertion. Animals that are liable to colic or gripes,
or are under the effect of medicines, particularly such as act on the
alimentary canal, and predispose to those affections, should get water
with the chill off.
_Watering in Public Troughs_, or places where every brute that travels
the road has access, must be strictly avoided. Glanders, farcy, and other
infectious diseases may be easily contracted in this way.
GRAZING.
The advantage of grazing, as a change for the better in any, and indeed
in every, case where the horse may be thrown out of sorts by accident or
disease, becomes very questionable, on account of the _artificial state_
in which he must have been kept, to enable him to meet the requirements
of a master of the present day in work. If the change be recommended to
restore the feet or legs, this object may be attained, and much better,
by keeping the creature in a loose-box without shoes, on a floor covered
with sawdust or tan, kept damp as directed (page 10), to counteract
whatever slight inflammation may be in the feet and legs, or, best of
all, covered with peat-mould, as this does not require to be damped,
and the animal can lie down on it; besides, the properties of the peat
neutralise the noxious ammonia, and it does not consequently require to
be so often renewed. In the loose-box also he can take quite as much
exercise as is necessary for an invalid intended to be laid up, and there
he can be supplied with whatever grain, roots, or succulent food may be
deemed necessary.
As for any other advantage to be derived from a run at grass, unless for
the purpose of using the herb as an alterative, I never could see it:
and even this end, unless the horse has a paddock to himself, can hardly
be gained; for if there are too many beasts for the production of the
ground, the fare must be scanty, and each animal half starved.
The disadvantages of changing a horse to grass from the artificial state
of condition are the following:—
1. That condition is sure to be lost (at least as far as it is necessary
to fit for work, especially to go across country at a hunting pace,
with safety to himself and his rider), and not to be regained for a
considerable time, and at great cost.
2. The horse is exceedingly liable to meet with accident from the
playfulness or temper of his companions.
3. Worms of the most dangerous and pertinacious description are picked up
nowhere but at grass.
4. Many ailments are contracted from exposure and hardship or bad
feeding; and owing to the animal being removed from under immediate
inspection, such ailments gain ground before they are observed. Moreover,
at grass the horse is more exposed to contagious and epidemic diseases.
5. Horses suffer great annoyance from flies in summer time, not having
long tails like horned cattle to reach every part of their body; and
wherever any superficial sore may be present, the flies are sure to find
it out.
As to aged animals, it is sheer cruelty (practised by some masters with
the best intentions and worst possible results) to turn them out to
grass. Such creatures have probably been accustomed in the earlier part
of their lives to warm stables, their food put under their noses, good
grooming, and proper care. You might just as well turn out a gentleman in
his old age among a tribe of friendly savages, unclad and unsheltered,
to exist upon whatever roots and fruits he could pick up, as expose a
highly-bred and delicately-nurtured old horse to the vicissitudes and
hardships of a life at grass.
TRAINING.
RAREY’S SYSTEM.
The principle of this system is that of overpowering the horse that may
in some instances have even become dangerous and useless, from having
learned the secret that _his strength gives him an advantage over his
master_—man. _Unconsciously_ deprived of his power of resistance, his
courage vanishes; the spirit which rose against all _accountable_ efforts
to subdue it, that would scorn to yield to overweight, pace, work, or
any other _evidence_ of man’s power, and which in the well-dispositioned
animal causes him to strain every nerve to meet what is required of him
rather than succumb, is by Rarey’s system subdued through a ruse so
effected that the power which overwhelms all the creature’s efforts at
resistance appears to originate and be identified with the man who can
thus, for the first time, take liberties with him, which he has lost the
power of resenting; and man thenceforward becomes his master. The method
pursued by Mr Rarey in subduing such a vicious and ungovernable horse as
Cruiser, is this: Placing himself under a waggon laden with hay, to which
the animal is partly coaxed, partly led by guide-ropes, and stealing his
fingers through the spokes of the waggon-wheel, he raises and gently
straps up one fore leg, and fastens a long strap round the fetlock of the
other, the end of which he holds in his hand and checks when necessary.
The beast, thus unconsciously tampered with, is quite disposed to resent
in his usual style the subsequent impertinent familiarities of his tamer;
but being by the foregoing precautions cast prostrate on his first
attempt to move, and finding all his efforts to regain his liberty and
carry out reprisals abortive, worn-out and hopeless, he at length yields
himself helplessly to his victor’s obliging attentions, of sitting on him
as he lies, drumming and fiddling in his ears, &c., and is thenceforward
man’s obedient and tractable servant.
There is no doubt that Mr Rarey’s plan of thus overcoming the unruly or
vicious beast by mild but effectual means, is the right one to gain the
point, _as far as it goes_; but breaking him in to saddle or draught,
improving his paces, or having ability in riding or driving any horse
judiciously, must be considered another affair, and only to be acquired
through more or less competent instruction, and by practice combined with
taste.
In training, the use of a dumb jockey[9] will be found most serviceable
to get the head into proper position, and to bend the neck. Two hours
a-day in this gear, while the horse is either loose in a box or fastened
to the pillar-reins if in a stall, will not at all interfere with his
regular training, exercise, or work, and will materially aid the former
result.
I greatly advocate the use of the dumb jockey without springs, even with
formed horses, who, being daily used to it, need no such adjuncts as
bearing-reins, but will arch their necks, work nicely on the bit, and
exhibit an altered show and style in action that is very admirable in a
gentleman’s equipage.
Should my reader be much interested in breaking-in rough colts, I
recommend him to consult ‘Stonehenge,’ by J. H. Walsh, F.R.C.S., editor
of the ‘Field.’
_Training for Draught._—Before the first trial in the break-carriage,
give your horse from half-an-hour to an hour’s quiet ringing in the
harness, to which he should have been previously made accustomed by
wearing it for a couple of hours the two or three preceding days. The
first start should be in a regular break, or strong but inexpensive
vehicle, and stout harness, with also saving-collar, knee-caps, and
kicking-strap—no bearing-rein. He should be led by ropes or reins (in
single harness on both sides of the head), and tried on a level, or
rather down than up a slight inclination. The place selected should be
one where there is plenty of unoccupied roadway.
Better begin in double harness, and let the break-horse with which the
driver is to start the carriage be strong and willing, so as to pull away
the untried one.
_The Neck_ usually suffers during the first few lessons in training
to harness; and until that part of it where the collar wears becomes
thoroughly hardened by use, it should be bathed with a strong solution
of salt and water _before_ the collar is taken off, that there may be no
mistake about its being done at once. Should there be the least abrasion
of the skin, do not use salt and water, but a wash of 1 scruple chloride
of zinc to 1 pint of water, dabbed on the sore every two or three hours
with fine linen rag, and give rest from collar-work till healed; then
harden with salt and water; and when the scab has disappeared, and the
horse is fit for harness, chamber the collar over the affected part, and
employ for a while a saving-collar. A sore neck will produce a jibbing
horse, and therefore requires to be closely attended to in his training.
EXERCISING.
It is desirable that a master should appoint a particular place for the
exercising of his horses, coupled with strict injunctions to his groom
on no account to leave it. No master should give his servants the option
of going where they please to exercise, their favourite resort being
often the precincts of a public-house, with a sharp gallop round the
most impracticable corners to make up the time. An occasional visit of
the master to the exercising ground is a very salutary check upon such
proceedings.
The best possible exercise for a horse is walking—the sod or any soft
elastic surface being better than the road for the purpose; and if the
latter only is available, use knee-caps as a safeguard.
Two hours’ daily exercise (_if he gets it_) at a _fast_ walk will be
enough to keep a hack fit for his work; and it is usual with some
experienced field-horsemen never to allow their hunters, _when once up to
their work_, to get any but walking exercise for as much as four hours
daily, two hours at a time—that is, when they desire to keep them “fit.”
Ladies’ and elderly gentlemen’s horses ought most particularly to be
exercised, and not overfed, to keep them tame and tractable, and to guard
against accidents.
The foregoing directions refer to the _preparations_ for the master’s
work, and are what I should give my groom.
_Sweating._—In case it is desirable to prepare an animal for any
extraordinary exertion, the readiest, safest, and most judicious means
is by sweating, carefully proceeded with, by using two or three sets of
body-clothes, an empty stomach being indispensable for the process, and a
riding-school, if available, the best place for the necessary exercise,—a
sweat being thus sooner obtained free from cold air, and the soft footing
of such a place saving the jar on the legs more even than the sod in the
field, unless it happen to be very soft.
Sweating is a peculiarly healthy process for either man or beast; and
to judge of the benefit derived by a horse through that means, from the
effect of a heavy perspiration through exercise on one’s self, there
seems little doubt that it is very renewing to the _physique_.
_Ringing_ or _Loungeing_ with a cavesson, though not ordinarily adopted,
except by the trainer, is nevertheless most useful as a means of
exercise. It is a very suitable manner of “taking the rough edge off,” or
bringing down the superabundant spirits of horses that have been confined
to the stable for some time by weather or other similar cause producing
restiveness, and is peculiarly adapted for exercising harness-horses
where it may not be safe or expedient to ride them.
WORK.
The master on the road or in the field using his bearer for convenience
or pleasure, will do him less injury in a day than a thoughtless ignorant
servant will contrive to accomplish in an hour when only required to
exercise the beast.
To the advice already given, never to allow your horses to be galloped
or cantered on a hard surface, it is well to add, refrain from doing
so yourself. On the elastic turf these paces do comparatively little
harm; but for the road, and indeed all ordinary usage, except hunting
or racing, the trot or walk is the proper pace. My impression coincides
with that of many experienced sportsmen, that one mile of a canter on a
hard surface does more injury to the frame and legs of a horse, than
twenty miles’ walk and trot: for this reason, that in the act of walking
or trotting the off fore and near hind feet are on the ground at the
same moment alternately with the other two, thus dividing the pressure
of weight and propulsion on the legs more than even ambling, which is a
lateral motion; while in anything approaching to the canter or gallop,
the two fore feet and legs have at the same moment to bear the entire
weight of man and horse, as well as the jar of the act of propulsion from
behind.
_Ambling_ is a favourite pace with the Americans, whose horses are
trained to it; also with the Easterns. It is, as before mentioned, a
lateral motion, much less injurious to the wear and tear of the legs than
either canter or gallop on the hard road, the off fore and hind being on
the ground alternately with the near fore and hind legs.
Though unsightly to an Englishman’s eyes, this pace is decidedly the
easiest of all to the rider, and may be accelerated from four to six or
eight miles an hour without the least inconvenience. Some American horses
are taught to excel in this pace, so as to beat regular trotters.
By trotting a horse you do him comparatively little injury on the road;
but observe the animal that has been constantly ridden by ladies (at
watering-places and elsewhere), who are so fond of the canter: he stands
over, and is decidedly shaky on his legs, although the weight on his back
has been generally light. Observe, on the contrary, the bearer of the
experienced horseman; although the weight he had to carry may have been
probably what is called “a welter,” _his legs are right enough_.
The softness of the turf, as fitting it for the indulgence of a gallop,
is indicated by the depth of the horse-tracks; there is not much
impression left on a hard road.
It should be always borne in mind that “it is _the pace that kills_,” and
unless the wear and tear of horse-flesh be a matter of no consideration,
according as the pace is increased from that of five or six miles per
hour, so should the distance for the animal’s day’s work be diminished.
For instance, if you require him to do seven miles in the hour _daily_,
that seven miles must always be considered as full work for the day; if
you purpose going eight miles per hour, your horse should only travel
six miles daily at that rate; if faster still, five miles only should
be your bearer’s limit; if at a ten-mile rate, then four miles; or at a
twelve-mile rate, three miles per day. But of course such regulations
apply to _daily_ work only, as a horse is capable of accomplishing a
great deal more without injury, if only called upon to do so occasionally.
A man may require to do a day’s journey of thirty miles, or a day’s
hunting, and such work being only occasional, no harm whatever to the
animal need result; but about eight or ten miles a-day at an alternate
walk or trot (say six-miles-an-hour pace) is as much as any valuable
animal ought to do if worked regularly.
No horse ought to be hunted more than twice a-week _at the utmost_.
The work of horses, especially when ridden, ought to be so managed that
the latter part of the journey may be done in a walk, so that they may be
brought in cool.
A horse in the saddle is capable of travelling a hundred miles, or even
more, in twenty-four hours, if required; and if the weight be light,
and the rider judicious, such feats _may_ be done occasionally without
injury: but if a journey of a hundred miles be contemplated, it is better
to take three days for its performance, each day’s journey of over thirty
miles being divided into two equal portions, and got through early in
the morning and late in the afternoon; the pace an alternate walk and
trot at the rate of about five miles an hour, to vary it, as continuous
walking for so long as a couple of hours when travelling on the road,
may prove so tiresome that horses would require watching to keep them on
their legs; and it is good for both horse and man that the latter should
dismount and take the whole, or nearly the whole, of the walking part
on his own feet, thus not only relieving his bearer from the continual
pressure of the rider’s weight on the saddle on his back, but as a man
when riding and walking brings into play two completely distinct sets of
muscles, he will, though a little tired from walking, find himself on
remounting positively refreshed from that change of exercise.
This recommendation is equally applicable to the hunting-field at any
check, or when there is the least opportunity. So well is the truth of
the above remark known to the most experienced horsemen, that some of
them, steeplechase riders, make it a practice before riding a severe race
to walk rapidly from five to ten miles to the course, in preference to
making use of any of the many vehicles always at their disposal on such
occasions.
It is only surprising that the expediency of making dragoons dismount
and walk beside their horses on a march, at least part of the way, for
distances of one or two miles at a time, is not more apparent to those
in authority (many of them practical men), in whose power it lies to
make a regulation so very salutary for both man and horse. The more
the beneficial effect of such an arrangement is considered, the more
desirable it would appear to be, especially in dry weather. The great
occasional relief to an overweighted horse of being divested of his rider
now and then, would rather serve than injure the latter, on account of
the variety of exercise, as before remarked, while his handling of the
horse would decidedly be enlivened by the change.
_Signals of Distress_ on increased pace.—Prominently may be mentioned
a horse becoming winded, or, as sportsmen call it, having “bellows
to mend,” which in proper hands ought seldom to occur, even in the
hunting-field, as there are tokens which precede it—such as the creature
hanging on his work, poking his head backwards and forwards, describing a
sort of semicircle with his nose, gaping, the ears lopping, &c.
Some horsemen are in the habit of giving ale or porter (from a pint to
a quart of either) to their horses during severe work. This is not at
all a bad plan, if the beast will take it; and as many masters are fond
of petting their animals with biscuit or bread, a piece of either being
occasionally soaked in one of the above liquids when given, will accustom
the creature so trained to the taste of them.
After the work is over a little well-made gruel is a great restorative;
and when a long journey is completed, a bran-mash might be given, as
mentioned under the head of “Feeding,” page 22.
One of the worst results to be dreaded from a horse going long journeys
daily, is fever in the feet (page 132), which may be obviated by stopping
the fore feet directly they are picked and washed out at the end of each
day’s journey.—_See_ page 13.
After a long journey, it would be desirable to have the animal’s fore
shoes _at least_ removed.
The saddle ought not to be taken off for some time after work; the longer
it has been under the rider, and the more severe the work, the longer,
comparatively, it should remain on after use, in order to avoid that
frightful result which is most like to ensue from its being quickly
removed—viz., sore back. With cavalry, saddles are left on for an hour or
more after the return from a field-day or march.
A numna or absorbing sweat-cloth under the saddle is in cases of hard or
continued work a great preservative against sore back.
When an extraordinary day’s work has been done, after the horse is
cleaned and fed he should be at once bedded down, and left to rest in
quiet, interrupted only to be fed.
BRIDLING.
Every horseman before he mounts should observe closely whether his horse
is properly saddled and bridled.
Bits must be invariably of wrought steel, and the mouthpiece _in all
bits_ should fit the horse’s mouth _exactly_ in its width: the bit
that is made to fit a sixteen-hands-high is surely too large for a
fourteen-hand cob. The bit ought to lie just above the tusk in a horse’s
jaw, and one inch above the last teeth with a mare.
It must be adapted to the mouth and temper of the horse as well as to the
formation of his head and neck. A riding-master, or the rider, if he has
any judgment, ought to be able to form an opinion as to the most suitable
bit for an animal.[10]
The ordinary _Bridoon_ (or Double bridle, as it is called in the North)
is best adapted to the well-mouthed and tempered horse, and is the safest
and best bridle for either road or field. Unfinished gentlemen as well
as lady equestrians, when riding with double reins to the bits, are
recommended to tie the curb-bit rein evenly in a knot on the horse’s
neck (holding only the bridoon-rein in the hand), provided his temper
and mouth be suitable to a snaffle. This is a practice pursued by some
even good and experienced horsemen where the temper of a horse is high,
in order to have the curb-bit to rely upon in case he should happen to
pull too hard on the bridoon or snaffle, which otherwise would be quite
sufficient and best to use alone.
The _Curb-chain_, when used, should be strong and tight; it should
invariably be supported by a lip-strap, an adjunct that is really most
essential, but which grooms practically ignore by losing. The object
of the lip-strap is to prevent the curb, if rather loose, from falling
over the lip, thus permitting the horse to get hold of it in his mouth
and go where he pleases; it also guards against a trick some beasts are
very clever at, of catching the cheek or leg of the bit in their teeth,
and making off in spite of the efforts of any rider. If the curb be
tight, the lip-strap is equally useful in keeping it horizontally, and
preventing its drooping to too great a pressure, thus causing abrasion of
the animal’s jaw. The curb _ought_ to be pretty tight, sufficiently so to
admit one finger between it and the jaw-bone.
The _Snaffle_ with a fine-mouthed horse is well adapted for the field—the
only place where I would ever dispense altogether with the curb-bit, and
then only in favour of a fine-mouthed well-tempered beast disposed to go
coolly at his fences.
On the road a horse may put his foot upon a stone in a jog-trot, or come
upon some irregularity; and unless the rider has something more than a
snaffle in his hand, he is exceedingly likely to suffer for it. Many a
horse that is like a foot-ball in the field, full of life and elasticity,
and never making a mistake, will on the road require constant watching to
prevent his tumbling on his nose.[11]
At the same time, a horse should by no means be encouraged to lean on the
bit or on the rider’s support, which most of them will be found quite
ready to do; a disposition in that direction must be checked by mildly
feeling his mouth (with the bit), pressing your legs against his sides,
and enlivening him gently with the whip or spur.
The _Martingal_.—The standing or head martingal is a handsome
equipment—safe and serviceable with a beast that is incorrigible about
getting his head up, but should be used in the street or on the road only.
The _Ring-Martingal_ is intended solely for the field with a horse
whose head cannot be kept down; but it requires to be used with nice
judgment, and handling of the second or separate rein, which should pass
through it, especially when the animal is in or near the act of taking
his fences, when, with some horses, comparative freedom may be allowed
to the head, which should, however, be brought down to its proper place
directly he is safely landed on his legs again by the use of this second
martingal-rein, which is attached to the bridoon bit.
_N.B._—If this second rein be attached to the snaffle by buckles (and
not stitched on as it ought to be), the buckles of the rein should be
defended from getting into the rings of the martingal by pieces of
leather larger than those rings. Most serious accidents have occurred
from the absence of this precaution: the buckle becoming caught in the
ring, the horse’s head is fixed in one position, and not knowing where he
is going, he proceeds, probably without any control from the rider, till
both come to some serious mishap. The rein stitched to the ring of the
bit is the safest.
The _Running-Rein_, or other plan of martingal (from the D in front of
the saddle above the rider’s knee through the ring of the snaffle to his
hand), should only be used by the riding-master or those competent to
avail themselves of its assistance in forming the mouth of a troublesome
or untrained animal. Some experienced horsemen, however, when they find
they cannot keep the nose in or head down with ordinary bits, instead of
using a martingal of any denomination, employ (especially in the field)
with good effect a ring, keeping the _bridoon_ or snaffle-reins under
the bend of the neck; or a better contrivance is a bit of stiff leather
three or four inches long, with two D’s or staples for the reins to pass
through on each side.
The _Chifney Bit_ is the most suitable for ladies’ use, or for timid or
invalid riders: it at once brings up a hard-pulling horse, but requires
very gentle handling. I have known more than one horse to be quite
unmanageable in any but a Chifney bit.
The more severe bits are those that have the longest legs or cheeks,
giving the greatest leverage against the curb. By the addition of deep
ports on the mouthpiece of the bit much severity is attained (especially
when the port is constructed turned downwards, in place of the usual
practice of making it upwards), which can be increased to the utmost by
the addition of a tight noseband to prevent the horse from easing the
port by movement of his tongue or jaws.
It is almost needless to observe, that the reverse of the above will be
the mildest bits for tender-mouthed, easy-going horses.
_Twisted Mouthpieces_ are happily now almost out of fashion, and ought
to be entirely discountenanced; their original intention was to command
hard-mouthed horses, whose mouths their use can only render harder.
The _Noseband_, if tightened, would be found very useful with many a
hard-pulling horse in the excitement of hunting, when the bit, which
would otherwise require to be used, would only irritate the puller, cause
him to go more wildly, and make matters worse. I have known some pullers
to be more under control in the hunting-field with a pretty tight
noseband and a snaffle than with the most severe curb-bit.
The _Throat-lash_ is almost always too tight. Grooms are much in the
habit of making this mistake, by means of which, when the head is bent
by a severe bit, the throat is compressed and the respiration impeded,
besides occasioning an ugly appearance in the caparison.
It may be remarked also that, if not corrected, servants are apt to leave
the ends of the bridle head-stall straps dangling at length out of the
loops, which is very unsightly: the ends of the straps should be inserted
in these loops, which should be sufficiently tight to retain them.
SADDLING.
A _Saddle_ should be made to fit the horse for which it is intended,
and requires as much variation in shape, especially in the stuffing, as
there is variety in the shapes of horses’ backs.[12] An animal may be
fairly shaped in the back, and yet a saddle that fits another horse will
always go out on this one’s withers. The saddle having been made to fit
your horse, let it be placed gently upon him, and shifted till its proper
berth be found. When in its right place, the action of the upper part of
the shoulder-blade should be quite free from any confinement or pressure
by what saddlers call the “gullet” of the saddle under the pommel when
the animal is in motion. It stands to reason that any interference with
the action of the shoulder-blade must, after a time, indirectly if not
directly, cause a horse to falter in his movement.
_N.B._—A horse left in the stable with his saddle on, with or without a
bridle, ought always to have his head fastened up, to prevent his lying
down on the saddle and injuring it.
_Girths._—When girthing a horse, which is always done upon the near or
left-hand side, the girth should be first drawn tightly towards you under
the belly of the horse, so as to bring the saddle _rather_ to the off
side on the back of the beast. This is seldom done by grooms; and though
a gentleman is not supposed to girth his horse, information on this as
well as on other points may happen to be of essential service to him;
for the consequence of the attendant’s usual method is, that when the
girths are tightened up, the saddle, instead of being in the centre of
the horse’s back, is inclined to the near or left-hand side, to which
it is still farther drawn by the act of mounting, so that when a man
has mounted he fancies that one stirrup is longer than the other—the
near-side stirrup invariably the longest. To remedy this he forces down
his foot in the right stirrup, which brings the saddle to the centre of
the animal’s back.
All this would be obviated by care being taken, in the process of
girthing, to place the left hand on the middle of the saddle, drawing the
first or under girth with the right hand till the girth-holder reaches
the buckle, the left hand being then disengaged to assist in bracing up
the girth. The outer girth must go through the same process, being drawn
under the belly of the horse from the off side tightly before it is
attached to the girth-holder.
With ladies’ saddles most particular attention should be paid to the
girthing.
(It must be observed that, with some horses having the knack
of swelling themselves out during the process of girthing, the
girths may be tightened before leaving the stable so as to
appear almost too tight, but which, when the horse has been
walked about for ten minutes, will seem comparatively loose,
and quite so when the rider’s weight is placed in the saddle.)
_Stirrup-Irons_ should invariably be of wrought steel. A man should never
be induced knowingly to ride in a cast-metal stirrup, any more than he
ought to attempt to do so with a cast-metal bit.
Stirrup-irons should be selected to suit the size of the rider’s
foot; those with two or three narrow bars at the bottom are decidedly
preferable, for the simple reason, that in cold weather it is a tax on
a man’s endurance to have a single broad bar like an icicle in the ball
of his foot, and in wet weather a similar argument may apply as regards
damp; besides, with the double bar, the foot has a better hold in the
stirrup, the rings being, of course, indented (rasp-like), as they
usually are, to prevent the foot from slipping in them.
This description of stirrup, with an instep-pad, is preferable for ladies
to the slipper, which is decidedly obsolete.
Latchford’s[13] ladies’ patent safety stirrup seems to combine every
precaution for the security of fair equestrians.
A balance-strap to a side-saddle is very desirable, and in general use.
Where expense is no object, stirrups that open at the side with a spring
are, no doubt, the safest for gentlemen in case of any accident.
With regard to _Stirrup-Leathers_, saddlers generally turn the right or
dressed side out for appearance; but as the dressing causes a tightness
on that side of the leather, the undressed side, which admits of more
expansion, should be outside—because, after a little wear, the leather
is susceptible of cracks, and the already extended side will crack the
soonest. The leather will break in the most insidious place, either in
the D under the stirrup-iron, where no one but the servant who cleans it
can see it; or else, perhaps, where the buckle wears it under the flap
of the saddle. Stirrup-leathers broken in this manner have caused many
accidents.
Invariably adjust your stirrup-leathers _before mounting_.
To measure the length of the stirrup-leathers of a new saddle, place
the fingers of the right hand against the bar to which the leathers are
attached, and, measuring from the bottom bar of the stirrup up to the
armpit, make the length of the leathers and stirrups equal to the length
of your arm, from the tips of the fingers to the armpit. Before entering
the field, in hunting or crossing country, draw up the leathers two or
three holes shorter on each side; and when starting on a long journey it
is as well to do the same, to ease both yourself and your bearer.
_Clumped-soled Boots_ occasion accidents. If, in case of yourself or your
horse falling, the foot catch in the stirrup, a boot with such a sole may
prevent its release.
The _Crupper_, though now obsolete for saddles, except in military
caparison, would be decidedly beneficial in keeping the saddle in its
proper place _on long journeys_, especially where, from the shape of the
animal, the saddle _will_ come too much forward, interfering with the
action of the shoulders, and throwing the weight of the burden unduly on
the fore-quarters, thus increasing the odds in favour of a tired beast
making an irretrievable stumble.
The dock of the crupper should be seen to that it is soft, and free from
crusted sweat and dandriff, which would naturally cause irritation and
abrasion of the tail. It should be always kept well greased ready for
use.[14]
The _Military Crupper_, according to the rules of the service, should be
so loose between cantel and dock as to admit of a man’s hand being turned
with ease between the horse’s back and the strap. If the crupper be
intended merely for ornament, such a regulation has hardly any meaning,
for it cannot be considered ornamental to see an apparently useless piece
of leather dangling at one side over a horse’s hip; and if the intention
be to make it useful, to keep the saddle from going too far forward on
ill-formed horses,[15] or in case of strong exertion, it is obvious
that a loose strap (according to orders) could hardly serve any such
purpose. If the crupper be for use, it would appear that after the saddle
is placed in its proper position on the animal’s back (the crupper being
left at its full length for this purpose), and previous to girthing, it
should be shortened so as to _retain_ the saddle in that place under any
circumstances,—not, however, that the crupper should be so tightened as
to inconvenience the beast, and half cut his tail off; it will be tight
enough to serve its purpose if _one_ or _two_ fingers can be easily
turned under the strap.
The _Breastplate_ may be necessary in hunting or steeplechasing with
horses that are light behind the girth, or what is vulgarly called
“herring-gutted,” and is used to prevent the saddle from getting too far
back, or, as the grooms say, the horse “running through his girths.”
Animals trained to such trying work as steeplechasing, or even hunting,
will become much smaller in the carcass than a trooper or an ordinary
gentleman’s hack.
With dragoons this part of the equipment is generally ill-adjusted, as
if to correspond with the inefficient arrangement of the crupper, the
breast-straps being often _too tight_. Frequently, during manœuvring
in the field or the riding-school, I have seen breast-straps burst in
consequence of their tightness; and indeed it stands to reason they
can thus but interfere with a horse’s action in leaping or making more
than ordinary exertion. Their tightness not only renders discomfiture
imminent, but must drag the saddle forward out of its place.
Altogether it might be desirable that commanding officers of some
cavalry regiments would study the pose on horseback of Marochetti’s
sculptured dragoons, or those of other eminent artists. The result
would probably be a marked improvement in the position of the saddle,
and, consequently, in the general _coup d’œil_ of our cavalry, who,
however, notwithstanding such minor defects, have always maintained their
superiority in horsemanship, as well as in efficiency, over any other
cavalry in the world.
RIDING.
The seat, method of holding the hands, &c., should be left to the
riding-master,[16] with a friendly admonition to the learner to avoid the
“stuck-up,” one-handed principle to a great extent, and to take a lesson
whenever opportunity occurs from one of the “great untaught,”[17] and,
observing their ease and judgment in the management of their bearers,
endeavour to modify their own horsemanship accordingly.
Kindness goes far in managing these noble animals.
How is it that many horses that are unmanageable with powerful and good
horsemen, can be ridden with perfect ease and safety by ladies? The
first thing a lady generally does after mounting, is to reassure her
steed by patting, or, in riding-school language, “making much of him,”
taking up the reins with a very light hand, and giving him his head;
whereas a man usually does the very reverse; he takes a commanding hold
of the reins, presses his legs into the horse as the signal for motion,
perhaps with a rasp of both spurs into his sides, indicating no great
amiability of temper—a state of things very likely to be reciprocated by
a high-spirited horse.
As before observed, every man ought himself to be able to judge whether
his horse is properly saddled and bridled. I must still inveigh against
misplacement of the saddle, which grooms, it will be remarked, usually
place too far forward—a mistake which is of more consequence than is
generally considered.