be fenced round with a skirting of iron to prevent scattering.
The mere standing on these will come to precisely the same thing as if
for a certain portion of the day the horse were, off and on, stepping
along a stony road; whilst being curried or when fidgeted by flies he
will be forced to use his hoofs just as much as if he were walking. Nor
is it the hoofs merely, but a surface so strewn with stones will tend to
harden the frog of the foot also.

(7) Lit. "A damp and smooth floor may be the ruin of a naturally good
hoof." It will be understood that the Greeks did not shoe their
horses.

(8) See Courier, p. 54, for an interesting experiment tried by himself
at Bari.

(9) Cf. "Hipparch," i. 16.

(10) Or, "spread so as to form a surface."

But if care is needed to make the hoofs hard, similar pains should be
taken to make the mouth and jaws soft; and the same means and appliances
which will render a man's flesh and skin soft, will serve to soften and
supple a horse's mouth. (11)

(11) Or, "may be used with like effect on a horse's mouth," i.e.
bathing, friction, oil. See Pollux, i. 201.

V

It is the duty of a horseman, as we think, to have his groom trained
thoroughly in all that concerns the treatment of the horse. In the first
place, then, the groom should know that he is never to knot the halter
(1) at the point where the headstall is attached to the horse's head. By
constantly rubbing his head against the manger, if the halter does not
sit quite loose about his ears, the horse will be constantly injuring
himself; (2) and with sores so set up, it is inevitable that he should
show peevishness, while being bitted or rubbed down.

(1) Lit. "by which the horse is tied to the manger"; "licol d'ecurie."

(2) Al. "in nine cases out of ten he rubs his head... and ten to
one will make a sore."

It is desirable that the groom should be ordered to carry out the dung
and litter of the horse to some one place each day. By so doing, he will
discharge the duty with least trouble to himself, (3) and at the same
time be doing the horse a kindness.

(3) Al. "get rid of the refuse in the easiest way."

The groom should also be instructed to attach the muzzle to the horse's
mouth, both when taking him out to be groomed and to the rolling-ground.
(4) In fact he should always muzzle him whenever he takes him anywhere
without the bit. The muzzle, while it is no hindrance to respiration,
pre