204 THE DOMESTIC HORSE. 



or two grooms : the captain * was a kind of Cen- 

 taur rider, not to be flung by the most violent ef- 

 forts, and of a temper for gentleness that would 

 effect a cure, if vice were curable : after some very 

 dangerous combats with his horse, the animal was 

 subdued, and it became so attached, that his master 

 could walk any where with him following like a 

 dog, and even ladies mount him with perfect safety. 

 He rode him during several campaigns in Spain, and 

 on one occasion where, in action, horse and rider 

 came headlong to the ground, the animal making 

 an effort to spring up, placed his fore-foot on the 

 captain's breast, but immediately withdrawing it, 

 rose without hurting him, or moving, until he was 

 remounted. When we saw him he was already 

 old, but his gentleness remained perfectly unaltered ; 

 yet his powers were such, that we witnessed his 

 leaping across a hollow road from bank to bank, 

 a cartway being beneath, and leaping back without 

 apparent effort. 



We all know to what extent horses may be edu- 

 cated to perform a variety of tricks, appear dead, 

 simulate fear or rage. There is an instance on re- 

 cord of a rider breaking his leg in a fall, with the 

 limb entangled in the stirrup, and his horse assisting 

 him in getting it out. We see them constantly 

 walk of themselves to their places in the relays of 

 coaches. Their love of a \vell known home is 

 equally established, there being cases where they 



* Major Anderson. We know not if this gallant and amiable 

 man is still alive. 



