[1] It may be well to let my readers know how I became experienced on the road. In the days when coaching was in its perfection (and when many country gentlemen indulged in their fancy for the use of the “ribbons”), I became, during a long interval from service, deeply and actively concerned in a coaching establishment of the first order; and those who, some years since, travelling between Dublin and Killarney via Limerick (a distance of about 185 miles), may have happened to hear coachmen and helpers talking of the “Captain,” will recognise in the writer the individual thus referred to, who was also in partnership with the famous Bianconi in the staging on the Killarney line. Several years spent in such a school will probably be considered a good apprenticeship to the study of one branch of the subject herein treated upon—viz., the management of horses on the road.

[2] The soubriquet by which the Author is known in his regiment.

[3] It, however, is treated more fully in a new section, page 93, which, at the request of many readers, and in consequence of its increasing interest to a large portion of the community, has been added to this edition.

[4] The French dealers of the present day choose, for gentlemen’s hack-horses, chestnuts with legs white half-way up, causing the action to look more remarkable. “There’s no accounting for taste.”

[5] It is to be remarked of bays, mouse-colours, and chestnuts, having a streak of a darker colour over the backbone from mane to tail (which sometimes, as with the donkey, crosses the shoulder)—that animals thus marked generally possess peculiar powers of endurance; and rat-tailed ones, though ugly, prove very serviceable.

[6] The extremes of various bad positions of the head when the bit is put in operation are—the throwing up the nose horizontal with the forehead, a trick denominated “stargazing,” at which ewe-necked horses are very ready, and getting the bit up to the angles of the jaws. Such a horse can easily run away, and cannot be commanded without a martingal. Another bad point is when the animal leans his jaw firmly against the bit, and, placing his head between his fore legs, the neck being over-arched, goes where he pleases: such is called by horsemen “a borer.”

[7] The racer not coming within the province, of this little work, I will only offer one maxim with reference to such horses in general—viz., never race any horse unless you make up your mind to have most probably a fretful, bad-tempered animal ever after. The course of training and the excitement of contest will induce such a result.

[8] If you happen to buy a low-priced animal, and depend upon your own opinion as to soundness, it is well to feel and look closely at the back part of the fore leg, above the fetlock, and along the pasterns, for cicatrices left after the performance of the operation of unnerving, by means of which a horse will go perhaps apparently sound while navicular disease is progressing in his foot, to terminate in most serious consequences.—See “Navicular Disease,” page 134.

[9] The old-fashioned pattern, with leather gear, is, after all, the best, as proved by the most practical men of the day.

[10] It has been truly said by the well-known Mr Elmore, that there is a key to every horse’s mouth, requiring only proper hands to apply it.

[11] The famous Irish jumper “Distiller” was notorious among many other good fencers as a bungler on the road, though he would jump a six-foot-six stone wall with ease, sporting two large broken knees in consequence of his performance in that line; and in fencing he was also first-rate.

[12] I may recommend Gibson, 6 Coventry Street, Leicester Square, as an excellent, intelligent, and experienced saddler.

[13] Latchford, 11 Upper St Martin’s Lane, London, and all saddlers.

[14] All the foregoing observations on saddlery apply equally to ladies’ saddles. Marked attention should be paid before they mount to the girths, which should be very tight, to prevent the saddle from turning, a lady’s weight being often altogether on one side.

[15] As a good shoulder, such as will keep a saddle in its place, is one of the great essentials in a gentleman’s hack, or indeed in an officer’s charger, giving him leverage to lift his legs safely and showily, it stands to reason that not many such will pass into the ranks at the Government price for remounts, which, however, is ample to supply animals suitable for the service, and does so in regiments where the class of horse provided at once proves that the whole sum allowed is invested in the remount itself, and proper judgment exercised in purchasing.

[16] It might not be out of place to mention, for the information of those who desire to be well taught, that, to my own knowledge, Allen’s, in Seymour Place, Bryanstone Square, and Clarendon’s, in Great Brunswick Street, Dublin, are excellent riding-schools.

[17] Those who probably have never received a professional riding-lesson in their lives, but still, from intuitive taste, ride with ease and ability.

[18] Talking of a horse being self-dependent in his movement on the road, puts me in mind of a challenge once accepted by a very practical horseman, to ride a notorious stumbler (reduced by this defect to mere farm-work) three times round Stephen’s Green, Dublin (a distance of over three miles), without falling. Given his choice of bits, some being of the severest kind, he rejected them all, desiring the groom to get him a common hemp halter, and with this simple head-gear, riding bare-backed, he accomplished the distance without the slightest mishap, and thereby won a large bet. The groom, however, resumed the use of the bit to ride the horse home (now feeling sufficient confidence to trust himself on his back instead of leading him), when the animal fell on his knees before he had gone a hundred yards.

[19] The incautious use of that rein, which has leverage on the curb, is very apt, with young unformed horses, or such as have been only accustomed to the bridoon or snaffle, to induce a notion of rearing, especially in anything of a rough attempt to “rein back” with; indeed, this latter point of training should be accomplished with the bridoon only.

[20] One can scarcely repress a smile on hearing cross-country misfortunes related, as they frequently are, in pretty nearly the following terms:—“I found my horse going sluggishly at his fences; and one place looking rather biggish, I shook him up with the bit, and put both heels into him to rouse him, but somehow or other the brute took off too soon, caught his fore feet, I suppose, against something, and came such a cropper on the other side!” or, “The beast kept going at such a bat at his fences that I brought him to book with my hands down, and with a good pull steadied him; but the brute with his awkwardness missed his footing on landing, dropped his hind legs into the brook somehow, and fell back on me, giving me a regular sousing!”

[21] In obscure lameness, to aid towards discovery of the affected part, having first decided which leg or foot is diseased, it is not a bad plan to walk the animal into a stream above the knees and take him out again (or have water dashed at once fully over the member), then kneel and closely observe which spot on the surface dries first—that which does so will probably prove to be the most inflamed part.

[22] In double harness, to increase your power in turning, shorten the coupling-reins; and to ease your horses, lengthen these to let their heads work more straight forward.

[23] Any one desiring hints in that line can have the benefit of my experience in dealing with such cattle, by applying to my publisher.

[24] When a hame martingal strap is used, the pad belly-band should not be finally buckled until it has been passed through the other.

[25] Yankee fashion is to drive with a rein in each hand. This style in Ireland is humorously described as “driving with a rein in each hand and a whip in the other.”

[26] There is a useful and inexpensive contrivance for very temporary roughing, patented and sold by John Coppard & Co., 24 Fleet Street, who, on being communicated with, will forward descriptive particulars. There is also a capital and more permanent arrangement prepared and sold by Mr Morris of 21 Rathbone Place, Oxford Street, being an improvement on Mr White’s plan of frosting horses’ shoes, by screwing three sharpened cogs into each—one at each heel and one at the toe—the shoes when put on being prepared to receive them.

[27] A suggestion has been made by one of the ablest reviewers of the first edition of this work, to add a chapter on caprices of horses; and doubtless such would be so extremely interesting, that the temptation to insert notes under this head in my first edition was only overcome by the determination to avoid being led into anecdote, which has been strictly observed throughout, as being out of keeping with the concise style in which it was intended that the book should be produced. A few practical hints are, however, here classed under the head of “Caprice.”

[28] A little work on blood-letting, by Professor Hugh Ferguson of Dublin, is well worthy of consultation on the subject.

[29] The difference between this disease and attacks of the lower viscera is, that the animal does not kick about, but generally stands as if hopeless and helpless.

[30] Practical men will tell you that the readiest and best way to mix grey powder, as water will not make it adhere, is with saliva in the palm of the hand, from whence it is transferred by a blunt knife to the horse’s tongue near the root, the tongue being drawn out for the purpose. I can vouch for the efficacy of this not very elegant proceeding where expedition is an object, having witnessed it myself.

[31] This will be found almost a specific; it is recommended by Mr Mayhew, and is said to have originated with Mr Woodyer, V.S., at Paddington. Professor Dick is also reputed to have been very successful in the treatment of this disease, by the use of small and repeated doses of iodine or iodide of potassium.

[32] This treatment is recommended by Mr Mayhew.

[33] A few of the low class of horsedealers are very clever at passing off a cribber or wind-sucker.

I have known cases where one might remain in a stable for hours with a cribber and not detect him. By keeping a continual watch over the animal and thrashing him directly he attempts to crib, he has been taught to beware of transgressing in this style in the presence of any one, and thus even a veterinary surgeon may be deceived, for he is not supposed to lose his time looking after such details of trickery.

[34] For example, an animal is in nearly a hopeless state from inflammation of the lungs and pleura, perhaps as a complication of distemper. Suddenly there is an amelioration in the symptoms; the hurried breathing resumes the characteristics of ordinary respiration—the owner, or veterinary surgeon in attendance, pronounces the patient to be out of danger—the improvement is regarded as almost miraculous. But in about twenty-four hours, often less, the horse is observed to move with difficulty in the stable; if he lies down, he is disinclined to get up; when standing, the fore feet are kept considerably more in advance than usual, the hind ones far forward under the body, so that they may as much as possible relieve the fore feet and legs from the superincumbent weight. In aggravated cases, as the heels of the fore feet are the parts which bear the most weight in progression, the horse, when forced to walk, which he can only accomplish with great difficulty, elevates the toe at every step, bringing the heel, instead of it, to the ground. The horse is then suffering from acute laminitis, or what is more generally in horse-parlance termed “founder.”

[35] Prepared and sold by Mr H. R. Stevens, V.S., 8a Park Lane, London, W., and all chemists.

[36] The use of the clyster syringe by unskilled hands is very dangerous—serious injury to the rectum being the common result; therefore great caution should be used to insert the pipe (well greased) slowly and not too high up the channel.