260 HORSE AND MAN. 



drawn so closely together that there is only a narrow 

 strip of vision in front, and none on either side. 

 These close blinkers have two bad effects on the eye. 

 In the first place, they heat the eye-ball by prevent- 

 ing the free access of air to it ; and in the next, by 

 forcing the animal to keep its eyes always directed 

 forwards, they fatigue and strain the delicate muscles 

 by which the eye is moved. 



In this place it is very tempting to describe the 

 structure of the horse's eye, but such a description 

 would be outside the province of this book, which 

 only deals with those structures of the animal which 

 ought to be understood by those who have the 

 charge of it. 



Considering the manner in which the horse is 

 treated by man, I almost wonder that fashion did 

 not recommend the entire instead of the partial 

 blinding of the horse. Had fashion turned in that 

 direction, no question of humanity would have stood 

 in its way. Those who crop the ears of horses or 

 dogs, or who cut off their tails at the demand of 

 fashion, would have no scruple in going a step 

 farther, and putting out the horse's eyes. The 

 reader may think that I am going too far in making 

 such a statement, but I am simply stating the truth. 

 All who know anything of * fancy ' are familiar with 

 the fact that it is the custom to put out the eyes of 



