While a horse is in constant pain, he is never in excellent condition for work. Very acute pain materially impairs his condition in a couple of days. Many horses are compelled to work when lame, and it is well known that they never carry so much flesh, nor appear so gay, as when sound They are seldom indeed fit to perform full work. In double harness the sound horse generally has more than his share of the draught, and if the lame horse be very willing, he soon wears himself out. But horses are often in pain without being lame. All kinds of abuse and bad management, consisting in cold, comfortless stables, want of grooming, neglect of the proper hours for feeding and watering want of room to lie, disturbed rest from various causes, impair the horse's condition. Harsh usage from bad grooms often destroys the repose and the appetite of nervous horses. Dig-comfort and terror are actual pain, and though never very acute, yet its constant operation has a sensible influence upon the condition and appearance of the horse. Grease, and sores on the neck, back, or other parts upon which the harness rides, produce a great deal of pain, both in the stable and at work. A large sore on the seat of the collar impairs a horse's condition as effectually as want of food.

All kinds of discomfort, annoyance, terror, or ill-usage, are as truly debilitating, when long continued, as the pain of a broken limb, though much less acute.

Idleness, whether absolute or comparative, is injurious to working condition. When the horse obtains more rest than his work requires, he is idle.

Absolute Idleness is that in which the horse suffers close confinement in the stable or loose box. He soon becomes weak, fat, short-winded, and stiff. If well fed, he may retain health and spirit for two or three months; but in this time he almost loses the use of his legs, and his skin becomes foul and itchy. Horses that have been long, perhaps several years, in work, with short or no interruptions, become very stiff.

I am unable to say how soon absolute repose will entirely destroy working condition. The time must vary with the horse's employment, and the manner in which he is fed. Those of slow work may suffer confinement for six or eight weeks before they become as feeble as idleness can make them. If half starved, or fed so poorly that the horse loses flesh, less than a month will produce the effect. If fully fed, he accumulates a load of fat, which makes him weaker than idleness with moderate feeding would make him. Fast-workers lose their condition much sooner; one week of superfluous rest sensibly impairs the condition of a hunter; he loses wind, but he is still able for much work. To destroy his condition entirely, he would, in most cases, require about four weeks of close confinement, some would need less, and some would perhaps retain a portion of their condition nearly eight weeks. A great eater degenerates fastest.

Comparative Idleness is that in which the horse gets exercise, or perhaps some work, yet not sufficient to maintain his condition. The owner may not use him oftener than once or twice a fortnight, and he receives exercise from the groom in he intervals. Horses kept for work of this kind rarely have good grooms to look after them. They are generally in the charge of men who seem to think that exercise is of no use but to keep the horse in health. A daily walk, with a smart trot, will keep the horse in condition for moderate work; but if the owner ride or drive fast and far, and at irregular intervals, as much exercise as keeps the horse in health is not sufficient. Every second, third, or fourth day, the exercise should resemble the work. The horse should go nearly of quite as far and as fast as the owner usually rides him. It may be too much to do every day, or every second day; but keeping always within safe bounds, the horse should have work, or exercise equal to his work, at regular intervals.

Many people work a horse on Sunday, as if they thought six days of idleness should enable him to perform a week's work in one day. When the horse has much to do on Sunday, he should in general do nearly as much on Wednesday, and on other days he may have walking exercise.