Walker's manly exercises: Containing rowing, sailing, riding, driving, racing, hunting, shooting, and other manly sportsWalker, Donald
Science
Walker's manly exercises: Containing rowing, sailing, riding, driving, racing, hunting, shooting, and other manly sports
Walker, Donald
Athletics; Sports
It is not found, however, that (barring contagious diseases) where
their owners are good judges of condition, coach-horses are much
subject to disease. After a hot summer, coach-horses are most liable
to derangement; and the month of October is the worst in the year for
them, in consequence of it being their moulting season. Coach-horses,
indeed, are certain to sweat three days out of four, which keeps their
blood pure, and renders almost unnecessary medicine, of which, in
general, they have but a small portion--perhaps less than they should
have. It is a mistake, however, that fleshy horses cannot go fast in
harness; they are more powerful in draught than thin ones; and, having
only themselves to carry, flesh does not injure their legs, as in
riding. In a fast coach, then, a horse ought not to work more than four
days without rest, as he becomes leg-weary, and wears out the sooner;
and he becomes also too highly excited. A horse a mile, reckoning only
one side of the ground, is about the proportion. Thus we may suppose
that ten horses work the coach up and down a ten-mile stage, which
gives eight at work, and two at rest. Every horse, then, rests the
fourth day. In slow, heavy work, however, coach-horses will do their
ground every day, barring accidents or illness.
In slow work, the average duration of coaching stock may be from six to
seven years, provided they are at first fresh, and firm on their legs.
In fast work, their time may be from three to four years, or scarcely
perhaps so much. Coach proprietors on a large scale should have a
break for their young horses, previous to going into regular work.
The practice of putting a young horse unaccustomed to harness into a
coach laden with passengers is most reprehensible; and when injury is
sustained by it, it should be visited by the severest penalties the law
can inflict.
HARNESS.
In the manufacture of harness we have arrived at a degree of
perfection, to which the invention of the patent shining leather has
mainly contributed. A handsome horse well harnessed is a noble sight;
yet in no country, except England, is the art of putting a horse into
harness at all understood. If, however, our road horses were put to
their coaches in the loose awkward fashion of the continental people,
we could not travel at the rate we do. It is the command given over the
coach-horse that enables us to do it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account