By the first week in April, a hunting man who wishes to keep his horses for the next season, has usually to decide what he has to do with them in the meantime. In such a case, old English custom gives him a choice of a run at grass, or "soiling" either in a loose box or in a straw yard. Turning out to grass is an alternative that restores the animal more or less to his natural state, and is likely to benefit over-worked legs and feet, provided that the ground is not too hard. In soiling, the horse is kept on green food, hay and straw, and can take very little exercise. Consequently, this method of summering is inapplicable to all horses, except those which require veterinary treatment. Besides, the condition of the floor of the box or yard will generally be so unsanitary as to rot the frogs and to produce thrush; and in any case will necessitate constant supervision by a careful and competent man. Mr. Harold Leeney (The Horse in the Stable and in the Field) tells us that the stupidity of farm servants cost him a valuable horse which died from thirst during a time of frost, on account of the otherwise abundant supply of water having been frozen over. In country places I have frequently seen gross cases of cruelty caused by neglect in the supply of water to horses on pasture. The knowledge that sheep can live for months without water is apt to make an ordinary yokel somewhat callous about the drinking requirements of horses. A run on soft damp grass, with no more food than the animal can pick up, is good treatment for inflamed ligaments, tendons and bones; and is certainly a benefit to his organs of breathing. These advantages, however, will be obtained at the expense of his working condition, to regain which he will require several months of hard feeding and strong exercise that cannot be given without taxing the soundness of his limbs. Besides this, horses on grass or in a straw yard during summer cannot fail to become filled with bots (p. 348), and, if docked, to go through a vast amount of irritation from flies. Hence, I would not turn a horse out to grass or in a straw yard, unless economy was of more importance than the animal's health and strength. If the state of his limbs was so bad as to necessitate a long rest, there would of course be no chance of hunting him next season in fast company, although he might do well enough for slow work. I would therefore discard all these old methods of summering sound hunters, except when saving money was the first consideration. Besides, the treatment of unsoundness could be carried out better in a stable, than if the horse was at grass. Soiling in a loose box might be applicable to an infirm animal, which, to get a fair chance of recovery, would as a rule require more treatment than merely standing still and eating green food.

Before turning a horse out to grass, it is as well to take off his shoes, and then rasp round the ground surface of the feet, so as to prevent the walls from splitting. It is generally more important to uncover the hind feet than the fore, because the former suffer more from thrush than the latter, they are more resistant to wear, and are more likely to inflict injury by kicking. When the shoes are taken off, or when tips are substituted for shoes, the question of adjustment of weight between heel and toe should be carefully considered, because reduction of the slope of the foot by lowering the heels or thickening the toe, may put undue strain on the suspensory ligament or back tendons. I have discussed this point in Veterinary Notes for Horse-Owners.

I think the best system of summering hunters is to turn them out every day in the late afternoon, as soon as the flies have gone to rest, and take them up, say, about 9 o'clock in the morning, before the flies recommence business. I would give the horses three feeds of corn (total, about 7 lb.) daily, first thing in the morning, at noon, and last thing at night; and would let them have as much healthy hacking as practicable.

The management of hunters which are worked throughout the summer as chargers, hacks, trappers, etc., would not of course come under the heading of summering.