252 HORSE AND MAN. 



People often say to me, 'We do not deny that 

 horses might do well enough without blinkers as 

 long as they keep to country roads, but if they are 

 driven in London, or any other populous city where 

 there is much traffic, they would be frightened at 

 the other vehicles, and especially at the whips of all 

 the drivers.' I suppose that Londoners think just 

 the same of the country, and that the horses would be 

 afraid of the trees and the wide expanse of country. 



If people who owned horses blindfolded them 

 entirely before driving them, there might be some 

 sense in this idea ; but as even the tightest blinkered 

 horse can see in front, and can therefore see all the 

 whips which are likely to hit him, even this super- 

 ficial argument fails. Of course, when a country 

 horse is just brought to London, it is nervous and 

 alarmed at the unaccustomed sights and sounds, and 

 so is a London horse when taken into the country, 

 whether it be blinkered or not. The blinker has 

 nothing to do with the question. 



In a letter addressed to the ' Animal World,' as 

 long ago as 1873, Mr. C. H. Tamplin, a London 

 surgeon, narrated his experiences with the ' blinkers : ' 



' Two years ago the idea occurred to me to try, 

 and if possible find out, the reputed use of blinkers. 

 Our coachman was ordered to come round without 

 them. He did so (bearing-reins we had renounced 



