The condition of hunters : their choice and management . e of my friends horses, or myown, were to have been exposed for sale in a weekfrom the time the comparison was made—what, mayI ask, would have been the result ? Why, I willventure to assert without fear of contradiction, thatas two gentle sweats and some good wisping wouldhave made my horse look nearly as well as when inwork, he would have produced an addition of twenty-five per cent, on his value beyond that of my neigh-bours ; and therefore, supposing them to be eachworth 100/. when in condition, he would have paid25/. for having eaten
The condition of hunters : their choice and management . e of my friends horses, or myown, were to have been exposed for sale in a weekfrom the time the comparison was made—what, mayI ask, would have been the result ? Why, I willventure to assert without fear of contradiction, thatas two gentle sweats and some good wisping wouldhave made my horse look nearly as well as when inwork, he would have produced an addition of twenty-five per cent, on his value beyond that of my neigh-bours ; and therefore, supposing them to be eachworth 100/. when in condition, he would have paid25/. for having eaten a twelfth part of that value incom. We may look at it in another light. If the conditionof my horse, by the superior firmness of his flesh, andhis increased vigour, be so much better in the monthof July or August, how much better still must it bein the month of November, when he will be calledupon to follow hounds—particularly so, when in theinterval he has to go through that wonderful processof nature, the change of his natural covering, or coat,. HARD MEAT VERSUS GRASS iii which so visibly affects him ! Were a man told thathe must write a book, or build a house, in three months,would he do either so well as if he had a longer periodallowed him to arrange and consider the subject forthe one, or to select and season the materials for theother ? This applies still more powerfully to thehorse, inasmuch as all operations of nature requirea stated time. As I was returning home from inspecting my neigh-bours hunters, I was amused as well as instructedby the following conversation, which took placebetween one of his tenants (a farmer) and myself :— Mr s horses, said I, look badly. Why, yes, said the farmer; I told the Squire so sometime back ; but I dont hold with the way in whichsome of you gentlemen keep your hunters. You keepthem in a warm stable, full of good corn, for eightmonths in the year, and then turn them out to shift forthemselves the other four. Now, added he, thi
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