86 THE POCKET AND THE STUD. 



and comfortable in his Transatlantic position, that 

 it would have been a pity to deprive him of so 

 cheap a luxury. 



Horses will be very commonly found to what 

 is termed "hang back in their stalls" the moment 

 the stable is shut and they find themselves alone ; 

 some will even do this when persons are present : 

 this is a habit that always excites the greatest ire 

 on the part of a groom ; the broom-handle or fork 

 usually correct this attempt, accompanied by 

 swearing at the horse, and sundry condemnations 

 of always his eyes, and frequently the limbs also. 

 I have seen men insane enough to listen at the 

 door, or watch at a window till they found the 

 horse had committed this heinous sin, then rush 

 into the stable and chastise him as unmercifully 

 as undeservedly : we might, with as much justice, 

 punish a man because he moved his person to get 

 ease when we had placed him in a situation that 

 rendered his position painful : but if any man has 

 found he could teach the generality of grooms to 

 think before they act, he has been more fortunate 

 than I have in this particular. 



The whole secret of a horse hanging back is, 

 that where the stall is much on the decline, from 

 the manger to the stall hind post, standing on an 

 inclined plane causes his loins and hind parts 

 to ache intolerably; he hangs back in order, if 

 possible, to get his hind legs beyond the gutter, 



