OF FARRIERY. 



29.5 



treated at least with kindness and respect ; 

 it is not enough for us to cure diseases, we 

 should endeavour by humane conduct towards 

 the animal to prevent them. If we could but 

 establish humane consideration in the breasts 

 of men towards the brute creation, we should 

 do more for the poor Horse than the whole of 

 the veterinary establishment. 



THE INCUMlsENT DUTY OF MAN TO PROMOTE 

 THE COMFORT OF THE LOWER ANIMALS. 



Having established the claims of the Horse 

 to the gratitude of man, we may ask how 

 have they been requited ? An enquiry into 

 the treatment of this noble animal would, we 

 fear, disclose that kindness was the exception, 

 while cruelty was the general rule. 



We do not wish to appeal to the passions, 

 and to mislead by declamation ; but we 

 would ask. 



Have brutes any rights ? 



Have they any claim upon us for good 

 usage ; or were they only created for our con- 

 venience, and to be abandoned to our cruelty, 

 or to our caprice ? 



If power be conceded to be the origin of 

 right. If the superiority of intellect which 

 man possesses, has enabled him to make the 

 brute creation his slaves, and that having: en- 

 slaved them, he has a right to the full exac- 

 tion of their services; still, the mode in which 

 those services could be most advantageously 

 exacted should be the guide of his conduct to 

 them ; and when we have linked ourselves in 

 society, the manner in which their services 

 may be rendered most valuable to the com- 

 munity, as well as to individuals, should be 

 the guide of action ; and then comes the ques- 

 tion. Will mild or cruel treatment, moderate 

 or murderous exactions of service, care or 



neglect, regulated conduct or wild and unfeel- 

 ing caprice, best conduce to our obtaining all 

 we can enjoy from the subjugation of the in- 

 ferior creation ? 



While we are perfectly willing to admit 

 that man has the dominion given to him by a 

 Superior Being over the brute creation for his 

 use and his comfort, yet the moment he abuses 

 that power by cruelty and oppression, as a 

 sentient and intellectual being, he becomes 

 responsible to their Creator, who will not be 

 regardless of the sufferings of his inferior 

 creation. 



But there are men who are perfectly re- 

 gardless of every thing but their own interest, 

 or would sacrifice an animal to the wanton- 

 ness of arriving only half an hour sooner to 

 the end of a journey. It will not be expected 

 that any thing we could say, would have 

 much effect on men so heartless ; but we be- 

 lieve much mischief may have arisen from 

 thoughtlessness and want of consideration, or 

 to the want of knowledge of the powers of the 

 Horse, scarcely suspecting that animals have 

 feeling. 



But if we place the animal only in a selfish 

 point of view ; if we value not his feelings, but 

 look upon him only as a machine, divested of 

 blood, bone, and muscles ; if such were the 

 fact, then would the machine be treated with 

 more tenderness than the noble Horse, be- 

 cause the machine, though made by man, 

 once put out of order, requires the attention of 

 a skilful artist, and consequently the expendi- 

 ture of much money. Money is of more con- 

 sequence than animal feeling. 



Then treat the Horse as you would your 

 machine, tenderly. Recollect that the living 

 machine whom you treat with more contempt 

 and disregard than a wooden machine, made 



