Admiral Henry John Rous (1795—1877):

'arbiter of matters equine'

Rous in 1870, by AT.N (Alfred Thompson )
for Vanity Fair

Frank Siltzer wrote of Rous, 46 years after his death, that his 'position as the sole arbiter of matters equine at Newmarket and elsewhere is without parallel in the history of the turf.'*

In April 1860, Rous wrote an important letter, The Turkish bath as a means of training, (published in The Field  and widely reprinted elsewhere), arguing that the traditional practice of sweating racehorses  by means of heavily clothed four or five mile gallops was outmoded and should be replaced by the use of Turkish baths. Although the idea was controversial, the letter led to Turkish baths for horses being built at several training stables.

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Turkish baths for animals. Part 3: Turkish baths for racehorses