716 THE HUNTER. 
Many thorough-bred Horses which are not suitable for the purposes of the turf are 
admirably adapted for the chase, and are trained for that purpose. The body of the 
Hunter should not be so long as that of the racer, and requires greater compactness, in 
order that he may not fatigue himself by taking too long a stride over ploughed land. 
A comparatively large foot is required, in order to save it from being destroyed by the 
rapid alternation of soft and hard ground which the animal is obliged to traverse, and 
which would batter a small contracted foot to such an extent as to render the Horse 
useless. The low shoulders of Eclipse would be very injurious in a Hunter, on account 
of the numerous and trying leaps which it is often called upon to perform. 
The best bred Horses are generally the most affectionate and docile, although their 
spirit is very high, and their temper hot and quick. There are few animals which are 
more affectionate than a Horse, which seems to feel a necessity for attachment, and if his 
sympathies be not roused by human means, he will make friends with the nearest living 
being. Cats are great favourites with Horses, and even the famous Chillaby, called, from 
his ferocity, the Mad Arabian, had his little friend in the shape of a lamb, which would 
take any liberties with him, and was accustomed to butt at the flies as they came too near 
his strange ally. The Godolphin Arabian was also strongly attached to a cat, which 
usually sat on his back, or nestled in the manger. When he died, the cat pined away and 
soon followed her loved friend. 
These examples are sufficient to show that the ferocity of these animals was caused by 
the neglect or ignorance of their human associates, who either did not know how to arouse 
the affectionate feelings of the animal, or brutally despised and crushed them. The Horse 
is a much more intellectual animal than is generally supposed, as will be acknowledged by 
any one who has possessed a favourite Horse, and treated it with uniform kindness. 
There is no need for whip or spur when the rider and steed understand each other, 
and the bridle is reduced almost to a mere form, as the touch of a finger, or the tone of a 
voice, are sufficient to direct the animal. We are all familiar with the elephantine dray- 
horses that march so majestically along with their load of casks, and which instantaneously 
obey the singular sounds which continually issue from the throats of their conductors, and 
back, stop, advance, or turn to the right or left, without requiring the touch of a rein or the 
blow of a whip. The infliction of pain is a clumsy and a barbarous manner of guiding a 
Horse, and we shall never reap the full value of the animal until we have learned to respect 
its feelings, and to shun the infliction of torture as a brutal, a cowardly, and an unnecessary 
act. To maltreat a child is always held to be a cowardly and unimanly act, and it is 
equally cowardly and unworthy of the human character to maltreat a poor animal 
which has no possibility of revenge, no hope of redress, and no words to make its wrongs 
known, Pain is pain, whether inflicted on man or beast, and we are equally responsible 
in either case, 
As an unprejudiced observer, with no purpose to serve, and without bias in either 
direction, I cannot here refrain from observing, that Mr. Rarey’s method of bringing the 
Horse under subjection is a considerable step in the right direction, and a very great 
improvement on the cruel and savage method which is so often employed by coarse and 
ignorant men, and truly called “breaking.” Having repeatedly witnessed the successful 
operations of that gentleman, in subduing Horses that had previously defied all efforts, 
I cannot be persuaded that it is a cruel process. The method by which it is achieved is 
now sufficiently familiar, and I will only observe, that the idea is a true and philosophical 
one. The Horse is mostly fierce because it is nervous, and bites and kicks, not because it 
is enraged, but because it is alarmed. Restore confidence, and the creature becomes 
quiet, without any desire to use its hoofs and teeth in an aggressive manner. It is 
clearly impossible to do so as long as the animal is at liberty to annihilate its teacher, 
and the strap is only used until the Horse is convinced that the presence of a human 
form, or the touch of a human hand, has nothing of the terrible in it. Confidence 
soon takes the place of fear, and the animal seems to receive its teacher at once into 
its good graces, following him like a dog, and rubbing its nose against his shoulder, 
The ingenuity of the Horse is very considerable, and the creature will voluntarily 
perform acts that display a considerable amount of intellect. From a number of 
