If the horse refuse the first proffer of hay, the rider may conclude that he has been pushed too much, as to time or length. If he still refuse his food, though the dressing be finished, he may be assured that his stomach is disordered, and he must be cordialled. In winter, a warm mash of malt is most eligible; but, if not at hand, a bran mash with an admixture of oatmeal, and a quart of good ale, may be given. In summer, a cordial ball will restore the tone of his stomach, without increasing the heat of his body so much as a mash would. If he is not aged, nor inured to cordialling, a small pail of stout water-gruel, almost cold, excels all other cordials, and supersedes the necessity of watering; he will take his supper an hour or so afterwards, with a relish.
The traveller ought to look to every particular himself.—In the next place, let him see that his horse gets his allowance of corn, that it be good, and that it contain no indications of having been in a manger before; for, in that case, he must wait by him until all the food is devoured. Dry food is alone proper to travel upon, and oats are the best; much hay being apt to engender flatulencies. When, however, a very long stage is to be taken, or it is cold, dreary, wet, or windy, a handful of crushed beans sustains him admirably, staying by him, and imparting vigour for a long time. The horse should not be denied water often; though too much at one time should not be given, nor, without its being chilled, any immediately after being fed.
His feet and shoes should be looked to, to ascertain if aught require repair, in order that it may be furnished as soon as he has recovered from his fatigue.—His limbs, moreover, should be examined all over, for cracks, pricked foot, &c., and the body, for saddle-galls, &c. Now, as ever, his dunging should be looked to. Even if in full condition, having been well and regularly fed, and as regularly worked, he will contract a tendency to constipation; the least ill consequence of which is defective pace, or short step, arising from more laboured action. As the inconvenience may be suffered to last, he sweats immoderately at the least extra exertion, his eyes lose their wonted brightness, his mouth becomes hot, and his manner is languid. All these evils may be prevented by timely physicking, whenever the dung is seen to fall upon the ground without the pellets breaking. Even a little green food, or a day’s mashing with bran, thin oatmeal gruel, and the like, will soften the dung considerably. It must be remembered that these things are to be undertaken on blank days, when the traveller is certain the horse will not be ridden a stage. The following allowance per week is generally enough to keep a horse in good condition:—
| Oats. | Beans. | Hay. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For a horse of from 14½ to 16 hands | 1 | ¾ | bushel; | 2 | quarterns; | 1 | ¼ | truss. | |
| For a horse under 14½ hands | 1 | ½ | bushel; | 1 | ½ | quartern; | 1 | truss. | |
DRIVING.
Among the ancients, for more than one thousand years, the greatest honour that could be bestowed upon a man was a sprig of the wild olive tree entwined round his brow, for having gained a victory in the chariot-race at the Olympic games of Greece. This sprig of olive, moreover, was accompanied by other marks of distinction: the wearer of it was not only honoured with statues and inscriptions during his life-time, but the immortal Pindar, or some other great poet, was called upon to hand his name down to posterity in an ode. The Olympic games were revived, as a religious ceremony, by Iphitus, an Elean, about nine hundred years before Christ. They were celebrated near Olympia, in the territory of Elis. Horse and chariot races were considered their noblest sports. No one was there prevented from driving his own chariot; and kings were often seen contending against kings.
The Greeks were the most enlightened of the ancients, and their taste in the arts has never been even rivalled. What they did, therefore, on this occasion, could not be considered as in bad taste; and, when we remember that the celebration of these pastimes outlived the laws, customs, and liberty of their country, we need not say more in their vindication. The honours of victory were not even confined to the brave and skilful man who won the race: even the horses were crowned amidst the applauses of the spectators; and in one race, where forty chariots were broken, the victorious one was preserved in the temple of Apollo. Such being the havoc among the competitors, it is not wonderful that Ovid should say, that the honour of contending for the Olympic prize was almost equal to the winning of it.
Sophocles modestly speaks of ten starting at the same time in the race; but Pindar, availing himself, perhaps, of poetic licence, makes the number forty. Four horses driven abreast was the usual number. The length[72] of the course on which they ran did not exceed an English mile, and as they had to make twenty-two turnings round the two pillars—generally, we may suppose, at full speed—it is not difficult to imagine what dreadful accidents must have happened.
[72] The Circus Maximus at Rome, in which the Romans exhibited their chariot-races, was an oval building of one thousand eight hundred feet in length, and four hundred in breadth.
Nothing indeed but the form of chariot used could have ensured safety to any one. From the representations on ancient coins, it appears to have been very low, and only on two wheels, somewhat resembling our curricle. It had of course no springs; and, as there was no seat for the charioteer, much of his skill consisted in preserving his balance, and keeping upon his legs.