THE COACH HORSE. 97 



work, can alone enable him to endure the labour long, on the supposition that 

 the system which has just been described is resorted to. But the coach pro- 

 prietor is not always sufficiently enlightened, or good-hearted, to see on which 

 side his interest lies ; and then the work is accomplished by the overstrained 

 exertion the injury the torture the destruction of the team. That which 

 is true of the coach-horse is equally so of every other. Let the reader apply it 

 to his own animal, and act as humanity and interest dictate. 



Many a horse used on the public roads is unable to throw all his natural 

 power or weight into the collar. He is tender-footed lame ; but he is bought 

 at little price, and he is worked on the brutal and abominable principle, that he 

 may be " whipped sound" And so, apparently, he is. At first he sadly halts ; 

 but, urged by the torture of the lash, he acquires a peculiar habit of going. The 

 faulty limb appears to keep pace with the others, but no stress or labour is 

 thrown upon it, and he gradually contrives to make the sound limbs perform 

 among them all the duties of the unsound one ; and thus he is barbarously 

 " whipped sound," and cruelty is undeservedly rewarded. 



After all, however, what has been done \ Three legs are made to do that 

 which was almost too hard a task for four. Then they must be most inju- 

 riously strained, and soon worn out, and the general power of the animal must 

 be rapidly exhausted, and, at no great distance of time, disease and death 

 release him from his merciless persecutors. 



It is said, that between Glasgow and Edinburgh, a carrier in a single horse 

 cart, weighing about seven hundredweight, will take a load of a ton, and at the 

 rate of twenty-two miles in a day. The Normandy carriers travel with a team 

 of four horses, and from fourteen to twenty-two miles in a day, with a load of 

 ninety hundred weight. 



An unparalleled instance of the power of a horse when assisted by art, was 

 shown near Croydon. The Surrey iron railway being completed, a wager was laid 

 between two gentlemen, that a moderate -sized horse could draw thirty-six tons 

 six miles along the road that he should draw the weight from a dead pull, as 

 well as turn it round the occasional windings of the road. A numerous party of 

 gentlemen assembled near Merstham to see this extraordinary triumph of art. 

 Twelve waggons laden with stones, each waggon weighing above three tons, 

 were chained together, and a horse, taken promiscuously from the timber carts 

 of Mr. Harvvood, was yoked to the train. He started from the Fox public- 

 house, near Merstham, and drew the immense chain of waggons, with apparent 

 ease, almost to the turnpike at Croydon, a distance of six miles, in one hour and 

 forty-one minutes, which is nearly at the rate of four miles an hour. In the 

 course of the journey he was stopped four times, to show that it was not by any 

 advantage of descent that this power was acquired ; and after each stoppage he 

 again drew off the chain of waggons with perfect ease. Mr. Banks, who had 

 wagered on the power of the horse, then desired that four other loaded waggons 

 should be added to the cavalcade, with which the same horse again started and with 

 undiminished pace. Still further to show the effect of the railway in facilitating 

 motion, he directed the attending workmen, to the number of fifty, to mount on 

 the waggons, and the horse proceeded without the least distress ; and, in truth, 

 there appeared to be scarcely any limitation to the power of his draught. After 

 the trial the waggons were taken to the weighing-machine, and it appeared 

 that the whole weight was as follows : 



TON. CWT. QR.. 



Twelve Waggons first linked together . . 38 4 2 



Four Ditto, afterwards attached . . . . 13 2 

 Supposed weight of fifty labourers . . . 400 



55 6 2 



