“that half a Peck of Oates, or as much as a Man can easily take up at
six times with both his hands together, is enough to give a Horse at
once.”
_For Carriage Horses_ employed in the usual Town work, sixteen to
twenty pounds of sound meadow _Hay_, with from three quarters to a
Peck of good full _Oats_, per Day, will be sufficient:--should Frost,
or other circumstances, lessen their labour, their Food should be
lessened also, and a small proportion of _Bran_ substituted; on the
other hand, when their Exercise is severe, the allowance of _Corn_
should be increased; to which, when they are worked very hard, a few
_Beans_ are an invigorating addition; a great quantity of _Hay_ is not
good, except for Cart Horses, who are meant for no other use but to
roll on slowly, with a fat fellow full of Beer swaggering beside them.
_Lord Pembroke’s_ plan of feeding Horses, especially Old ones, with
bruised Corn, and Chaff, is to be recommended--“Every grain then goes
to nourishment, and Three feeds go further, than Four, as commonly
given.”
Although a horse has but a short Stomach, he has Long Bowels:--_Dr.
Bracken_ tells us, that “the length of the Alimentary Canal of a
Horse is seldom less than 35 Yards: He must, therefore, feed a little
at a time; and as we know that when our own Stomach is empty, we
feel languid, so does the Horse--and as a small Stomach must be soon
emptied, it requires to be frequently replenished.”
A Horse should have Four feeds in a Day, the first about Six in
the Morning, the next at Eleven, again at Four, and the last thing
at Night:--of these, Supper and Breakfast should be the Best; the
intermediate Eating should be at about Noon, and four or five hours
after: in the intervening time, let his Rack and Manger be empty, then
when he comes to his meal he will eat with an appetite whatever you
give him.
Make it a Rule, to give your Horses their Food two hours before you
put them to Work--that the first act of the restorative process of
Digestion may be finished before they are disturbed.
_Young Horses_, that have not done growing, have strong Appetites, and
require to be more fully fed than those that have come to Maturity,
but not so much Corn;--Bran, and Clover Hay. Chaff damped, will
occasionally do for them better--Young Horses, like Young Children,
require their Food in Quantity rather than Quality, and the lighter it
is the better.
SOFT WATER is to be preferred; the condition of a Horse’s Coat depends
much on the quality of the Water that he drinks--very cold and hard
water will break his Coat directly.
A Cavalry Officer informed me, that, observing One Troop in his
Regiment in much finer condition than the rest, he found, on inquiry,
that it was occasioned by the Horses of that Troop drinking _Soft_
water, while the others had _Hard_ water.
HAY
Varies quite as much in Quality, as it does in Price--_Clover_ grass
is, by some, considered to be the best; whence the Proverb, “_to Live
in Clover_.”
The Nose is your best guide in the choice of Hay. _Good hard Hay_ has a
quick and agreeable smell:--it is of great importance that Hay be good;
if it is not, let a Horse eat as much as he will of it, he will be low
and poor.
I am told that there is a great deception practised in Hay Markets:
they take care that those Trusses in the Cart which are likely to be
examined are good; but the main bulk of the Load is not always of
equally good quality.
The Reader is recommended to deal regularly with the same Farmer,
as the best security against the deceptions which it is said are
sometimes practised in Markets.
When a Buyer endeavours to bate a Seller down below the regular market
price, it may tempt a Seller to make himself amends, by putting up some
Trusses of inferior Quality, if not of short Weight also.--Say to your
Hay-salesman, “Now mind, I buy this as a load of Good Hay, and I shall
not pay for it till I have unloaded it and found it all right.”
The fresher _Hay_ is cut from the Stack the better: it soon turns soft
and musty in a damp Hayloft, and in the course of a few weeks loses all
its best Qualities.
Never lay Trusses of Hay upon each other: the best way to keep Hay from
Damp and Moulding, is to set it up on its edge--so that a current of
Air may circulate round it.
Go to Market in good time;--if you wait till your Stock is quite out,
you must buy what you can.
BEANS
are only needful when Horses have a great deal of hard work, and in Wet
weather.
BRIEFLY, AS TO HORSE-MEAT.
Hay is _Horse-Bread_.
Corn--_Horse-Mutton_.
Beans--_Horse-Beef_:
And the most strengthening substance that can be given them.
_Good Bran_ is a useful article in a Horse’s diet, and when Scalded,
with a handful of Salt to it, is occasionally as good a Mash for a
Horse as a Mess of Gruel is for a Man.
A Truss of _Hay_ should weigh 56 lbs.
A Truss of _Straw_, 36 lbs.
A Truss of _New Hay_, 60 lbs.
_A Ton_ and _a Load_ of Hay are nearly the same.
If you send a Servant to purchase Provisions, &c. for your Horses, at
least choose the Purveyor yourself, and tell your Servant previously to
bring you _the Price_, (in writing), with the Samples of the various
things.
Desire each Tradesman to send home with each Article, whether you pay
Ready Money for it, or otherwise, “_A Ticket of the Quantity and the
Price of it_,” of which carefully ascertain the correctness.
_Cast up every Bill,_
_Pay every Account Yourself,_
_and_
_Take care of your Receipts._
These are your only effective protections against those ruinous
Impositions which perfunctory Persons continually suffer, from
combinations between their Servants and their Purveyors.
ON
SENDING HORSES TO GRASS.
Delicate Horses who have been treated over tenderly, and have long
stood warmly clothed in a hot Stable, must not be all at once turned
out to Grass in cold Weather.
A Horse must have “the Constitution of a Horse” indeed, who can stand
such a shock; for which, he should be gradually prepared by diminishing
his Clothing, and gradually accustoming him to the Open Air;
“for one Extreme,
Ne’er without Danger meets its own reverse.”
Let him be well fed till the day that he is turned out, on which give
him nothing; then he will graze the greatest part of the Night;--_if
you turn him out with a full Belly, he will lay down, and most likely
catch a mischievous Cold._
When Horses are sent to Straw-Yard or to Grass, let their Shoes be
removed, and their Feet set at liberty--Toe-pieces are sometimes put on.
_Early Spring Grass_, for five weeks in May and June, is not only
excellent Food, but admirable Physic for Horses;--_Dr. Green_ cures
most of the Disorders that Horses are subject to, sooner than any.
Strong Horses frequently fall a sacrifice to Diseases, by being kept
continually upon hard dry food, which feeding on soft Green herbage for
a few weeks would frequently cure sooner than any Physic.
It is recommended, that Horses in the Stable should occasionally have
_Green Meat_, viz. Rye, or Tares, &c. which are carried about London in
Carts during the Spring, &c.
A Horse will get fresher, by having a Run in a _Salt Marsh_ for One
Month, such as at Plaistow, or the Isle of Dogs, &c. than he will in
Two Months on Upland Grass.
“I have been told that it is no unusual thing to take up Horses from
the Marshes, and send them on a long Journey directly, without any
preparation; and am the more ready to believe this, because I have
several times known Horses taken off the dry Commons in Winter, and
perform very well on the Road:--it is quite otherwise with those that
go on common Pastures, either in cold clay grounds, or where the Grass
is forced with Dung: many of these require a good deal of management
before they are fit to be put on hard service.”
Fields which lie near to Great Towns, and are much manured, do not
afford half such wholesome Hay or Pasture as those that are further in
the Country, and are not so forced. _Mr. Jarvis_ says that he would not
thank ye for the Hay that is made within 10 miles of London. The loads
of Dung may make the Ground yield a more plentiful crop, but it is
always of an inferior, and often of injurious Quality.
Send your Horses to Grass where _the Pasture_ is fine without being
forced, where the _Water_ is good, and there is comfortable _Shelter_
for them to run to in Wet Weather: they should always have Hay to go
to, especially in Winter. You may be charged a trifle per Week more
for this; but it is Money well spent, if you value your Horse.
_When a Horse returns from Grass_, although he may be free from
Disease, he is not fittest for Work; but will require a Week’s hard
Food, and must have Hay and Corn, and be gradually Exercised for
several days before he be put to Hard Work, or he will be apt to empty
himself too often, and is no Horse for a long Journey--unless you wish
to make a Skeleton of him.
COLDS.
Young _Horses_ are much more liable to Colds than those that are full
grown.
_The most common cause of Colds_ is riding or driving Horses till they
are Hot, and then suffering them to stand still where the Air is cold
and chilling.--Another very usual cause of Colds is removing a Horse
out of a Hot Stable to a Cold one:--a Cold taken this way will be more
violent, in the degree that a Horse has been highly fed and hotly
clothed: this is the reason why many Horses catch such very severe
Colds soon after they come out of a Dealer’s hands.--New-built Stables,
before they have been well aired and seasoned, and even Old Stables,
when they have stood long empty and grown damp, are dangerous to tender
Horses, that have been kept warm.
WHEN A HORSE HAS CAUGHT A COLD,
for his Diet let him have the sweetest and best Hay, and scalded Bran
and Water, with the chill taken off;--for his Physic, the following
prescription: let him be prepared for it (if his Disorder permits) the
two preceding days by some feeds of scalded Bran, which will render its
operation not only more easy, but more effective:--for those Horses
that have a narrow swallow, or that take Balls reluctantly, let the
Ball be dissolved in a pint of Ale or Gruel, made just milk-warm.
HORSE BALLS
should be made into an Oval shape, and not exceed the size of a
pullet’s Egg; when the dose is large, they may be made into two:
they should be dipped in Oil, that they may slip down with ease; for
striving much in thrusting down Balls, greatly increases a Horse’s
antipathy to such things, and renders it troublesome to administer them.
PURGING BALL.
Take Soccotrine Aloes, six drachms;
Castile Soap, three drachms;
Grated Ginger, one drachm;
Oil of Caraway, twenty drops;
Syrup sufficient to make it into a Ball, which may be
rolled in Flour.
This will answer all the purpose of Physic for Horses whose intestines
are not extremely idle, for whom a drachm of Jalap may be added, which
will seldom fail operating effectually.
_The best time to give a Horse Physic_, is about 5 or 6 o’Clock in the
Evening: it will then begin to operate about Noon the next day, and
sometimes it will move the Bowels in the Morning.
About three or four hours after, a Horse should have a feed of scalded
Bran: when he has eaten that up, he should have a small portion of
Sweet Hay let down into his Rack. He may have one or two more feeds
of scalded Bran the same day; and if he refuses to eat warm meat,
which some Horses will loathe that have been cloyed with it before,
he may be allowed raw Bran, which, if he drink sufficiently with it,
will do the business perfectly well. Let his drink be made milk-warm,
with a handful of Bran squeezed in it; but if he refuse to drink white
water freely, let him have it without the Bran, for his Physic will
always work the more, the more kindly he drinks, which let him do of
warm water as much as he will. Early the next morning, he may have
another small feed of scalded Bran; but if he does not choose to Eat,
which sometimes happens before the Physic has begun to work, while his
stomach is squeamish, let him Drink as much water as he cares for,
with the Chill taken off, and ride him gently, beginning with a Walk,
and afterwards a gentle trot, which will help the operation of his
Medicine.--_Gibson on Horses_, 4to. p. 129. 1751.
FOR CRACKED OR SORE HEELS.
To cure these, there is nothing better than the _Zinc Ointment_ of the
last Pharmacopœia of the London College of Physicians.
At night wash the Heels clean first, and then rub in a little of the
Ointment with your fingers, and tie a bit of linen rag round it. Take
it off when he goes out. On his return home, wash his Heels, and repeat
the above application. In ten days or a fortnight it will effect a
complete cure, if your Horse be in good Health.
For Cracked Heels, the following is recommended:--
Take Soap Liniment, an ounce and a half;
Camphorated Spirit, an ounce;
Oil of Turpentine, half an ounce.
Mix.
DIURETIC BALLS FOR SWELLED HEELS, ETC.
Take Yellow Resin, one pound;
Yellow Soap, and
Nitre, in powder, each twelve ounces;
Ginger, in powder, four ounces;
Oil of Juniper, a quarter of an ounce.
Melt the Resin and Soap in a pan over a slow fire:
when dissolved, stir in the other articles. One ounce and
a half for a Dose, to be given about twice a Week.
_London Carriage Horses_ frequently fail in their Health about October
and November, which the administration of this medicine will speedily
restore.
STABLES.
There are few instances of the Ornamental triumphing over the Useful in
a more ridiculous degree, even in this _Age of Eye-Architecture_,[25]
than in the usual management of _Horses_, which some people seem to
suppose are as fond of Heat as Crickets. I have almost wondered that
Stables have not been furnished with Stoves to keep them of a regular
Pine Apple heat: this might improve the appearance of a Horse’s Coat:
the fineness and smoothness of which seems to be the grand desideratum.
Providence has protected the Horse with a coat of Hair sufficient
to defend him from the inclemencies of the severest Climate, which
Providentially begins to grow thicker about the month of October, and
increases in thickness as the Cold to which he is exposed increases.
But it is the Fashion at present to fancy that his Stable and Clothing
cannot be too close: in fact, many Horses are treated like Hot-house
Plants, and thereby rendered so delicate and tender, that they are
morbidly susceptible of all that vast train of complaints which are
caused by what is called
“CATCHING COLD.”
The Door is generally the only entrance for Air, and that only when it
is occasionally open: the very threshhold of the Door is frequently
stopped up with Dung, and the Key-hole filled with Straw. In the
Morning, when the Door has been shut all Night, especially in Summer,
the heat is intolerable, and the Air absolutely unfit to breathe. It
is surprising that these poor creatures are not oftener found stifled
by the steams from their own bodies:--added to this, they are perhaps
muffled up in thick and tight Body Clothes.
“_In Summer_ a single Sheet is fully sufficient for a _Horse Cloth_,
and in Winter, one Woollen Cloth is all that is requisite. Neither
Hacks nor Hunters should have _Head Cloths or Breast Cloths_, which,
though ornamental, are something worse than useless, for they keep a
part, while at rest, warm, which, as soon as the Horse gets out, is the
part that most meets the Cold Air, and is most exposed.”
Hot-House Horses suffer severe Rheumatisms, &c. upon every trifling
occasion:--a change of Stable--a Shower of Rain--standing still for a
little while in the open air, produce a variety of Disorders, Lameness,
Stiffness in their Joints, &c. &c.: in attempting to remove which,
after they have been tormented by cramping Shoes and Pailsful of
Physic, &c., the poor creatures are pronounced incurable, and given
over as “Foundered in the Chest,” or “Shook in the Shoulders,” or some
such equally unintelligible Jargon.
“Till at last, having labour’d, drudg’d, early and late,
Bow’d down by degrees, he bends on to his fate;
Blind, old, lean, and feeble, he tugs round a Mill,
Or draws sand till the sand of his hour Glass stands still.”
_Dibdin’s Race Horse._
To cover a Horse with heavy Clothes while he is in a hot Stable, and to
strip him stark naked when he goes out into the Cold Air, is, I think,
as absurd a custom as can easily be imagined!--Gentle Reader, how would
You like to have your Great Coat put on while sitting by your Fire-side
in your Snug Parlour, which is of the comfortable temperature of 60,
and have it pulled off when you went out, and were obliged to stand
two or three hours with a cold wind blowing upon you of a chilling
temperature of 40, and perhaps Raining hard into the bargain?
Such treatment is as uncomfortable to a Horse as it would be to a Man;
and is the cause of the otherwise unaccountable premature mortality
of these valuable animals, especially of our London Carriage Horses,
which are often kept standing still exposed to the open air in cold and
damp weather for hours together!
When Carriage Horses are taken out in Wet Weather, they should have
_Water Decks_ over their Loins, and be kept moving about every ten
minutes.
Where the ceiling of a Stable is low, and there is no window, the
best way to ventilate it is by a funnel passing up through the Stable
Ceiling, and through that of the Loft above.
Stables should be aired every day by keeping the Doors and Windows open
during the absence of the Horses. Experience teaches us how agreeable,
and indeed how indispensable fresh Air is in our own Apartments: it
is equally so to Horses; and one would almost suppose that Persons
who neglect to give it them never enjoyed the benefit of fresh Air
themselves.
As good _Master George Markham_ tells us, in his Way to Wealth, 4to.,
1638, p. 9, “_Coach Horses_, by reason of their many occasions to stand
still, must be inured to all Hardnesse.”
Never let Carriage Horses be clothed while in the Stable, but desire
your Coachman to carry their _Body Clothes_ with him, and put them
on when they have a waiting Job, as he does his own _Box Coat_;--the
former will be as comfortable to his Horses, as the latter is to
himself.
A Coachman should make it a Rule (especially when he finds it cold
enough to put on his Great Coat) every quarter of an hour to move his
Horses about a little, and to draw round some Corner, so as to get out
of the Wind. It is not so much their being long out of Doors, but their
long standing quite still in a current of Cold Air, that injures Horses.
See more on this subject in the Chapter on Coachmen.
MANAGEMENT OF HORSES
IN
CASE OF FIRE.
When a Fire happens, such is the natural dread of the horse, that
he cannot be prevailed on to move out of danger, but remains to his
certain destruction.
In this alarming case, it has been recommended, and practised with
success, (the opportunity of a few minutes offering,) to _blind_ the
horses with any cloths which can be suddenly laid hold on, and a Bridle
or Halter also being put on, to _back_ them out; for when these animals
see or smell fire, they obstinately refuse to move forwards, but may be
forced backward.
HINTS TO HORSEMEN.
If you do not wish your Horse to catch cold, Mount him the moment he
comes out of the Stable.
“_The Stirrups_,” says Lord Pembroke, in his Essay on Horses, 12mo.
1761, pp. 18 and 19, “must be of just such length, that when the
Rider, being well placed, puts his feet into them (about one-third of
each foot from the point of it) the point may be about two or three
inches higher than the heel when the Rider places himself upon the
Saddle strait, even, upright and well with his Legs hanging down, and
the stirrups likewise; and when he is in this position, take up the
stirrup, till the bottom of it comes just under the Ankle bone. The
Rider must not bear upon his Stirrups, but only let the natural weight
of his legs rest upon them.”
Always ride a hole or two shorter across the Country, than you do on
the Road.
Ride with a Snaffle, and use your Curb only occasionally.
Choose your Snaffle full and thick in the middle, especially at the
ends to which the reins are fastened. Most of them are made too small
and long, and cut the Horse’s mouth, and bend back over the bars of his
jaw, working like pincers.
If you ride with _a Curb_, make it a rule to hook on the chain
yourself; the quietest Horse may bring his rider into danger, should
the curb hurt him.
If in fixing the curb you turn the chain to the right, the links will
unfold themselves, and then oppose a further turning. Put on the chain
loose enough to hang down on the Horse’s under lip, so that it may not
rise and press his jaw till the reins of the Bridle are moderately
pulled.
Observe that your Horse is furnished with a Bit proper for him, and
by no means too heavy, which may incline him to carry low, or to rest
upon the hand when he grows weary, which Horsemen call “Making use of a
Fifth Leg.”
Always endeavour to avoid a Quarrel with your Horse:--if he is apt to
Start, you will find occasions enough to exercise his obedience when
what he starts at lies directly in his way, and you must make him pass:
if he is not subject to start, do not contend with him about a trifle.
The notion of the necessity of making a Horse go immediately up to
every thing he is afraid of, and not suffer him to become master of his
rider, seems to be generally carried too far. It is an approved method
to conquer a Horse’s fear of the sound of a Drum, by beating one near
to him at the time of feeding him: this not only familiarises the noise
to him, but makes it pleasant, as a forerunner of his Meat; whereas,
if he was whipped up to it, he might perhaps start at it as long as he
lived. Might not this be applied to his starting at other things, and
shew that it would be better to suffer him (provided he does not turn
back) to go a little from, and partly avoid an object he has a dislike
to, and to accustom him to it by degrees, convincing him, as it were,
that it will not hurt him, than to punish him, quarrel with him, and
perhaps submit to his will at last, while you insist on his overcoming
his fear in an instant? If he sees a like object again, it is probable
he will recollect his dread, and arm himself to be disobedient.
“Now of _Corrections_, the most principal is _the Spur_, which must not
at anytime be given triflingly or itchingly, but soundly and sharply,
as oft as just occasion shall require: then, the Rod, which upon
disorder, sloth, or miscarriage, of the members, must be given also
soundly: then, the Voice, which being delivered sharply and roughly, as
_Ha, Villaine!_--_Carrikra!_--_Diablo!_--and such like threatenings,
terrifieth the Horse, and maketh him afraide to disobey: and lastly,
the Bridle which now and then stricken with a hard chocke in his
mouth, reformeth many vices and distemperatures of his head: yet this
last must be done seldome, and with great discretion, for to make a
custom thereof is the ready way to spoil a Horse’s mouth.”
“Now of _Cherishings_ there are generally in use but three; as first,
the voice, which being delivered smoothly and lovingly, as crying
_Holla_--_So, boy_--_There, Boy, There_--and such like, gives the Horse
both a cheerfulnesse of Spirit and a knowledge that he hath done well:
then the hand, by clapping him gently on the necke or buttocke, or
giving him Grasse or other foode to eate after he hath pleased you:
and lastly, the big ende of the rod, by rubbing him therewith upon
the withers or maine, which is very pleasing and delightful to the
horse.”--_Markham’s Way to Wealth_, 4to. 1638. p. 16.
“The Hope of Reward, and the Fear of Punishment, governs the whole
World, not only Men, but Horses; for it is impossible that you can well
manage your Horse until he fear you, and out of that fear, Love and
Obey you; for it is Fear maketh every body obey both Man and Beast.
_Love is not so sure a Hold_, for there you depend upon his Will; but
when he Fears you, he depends upon yours.”--_Soleysell’s Horsemanship_,
fol. 1717. p. 272.
_Old Blundevill_, in his 24th Chapter of his Book on Horses, 4to. 1609.
p. 22, gives the following advice:--