SOCIAL HABITS. 101 



to himself, and to get in front of his food, will 

 always be found to stand nearly corner-ways in 

 his box ; so, if the food is on the side of the door, 

 his heels will be away from the person entering ; 

 if the reverse, they will be towards him, which 

 with some horses would not only make some dif- 

 ference, but all the difference to the safety of the 

 intruder. 



Many persons have quite a box monomania 

 about them, and fancy one to be all but indis- 

 pensable to the well-doing of a horse. I am quite 

 of a different opinion, though I do not affirm that 

 my own is the correct one ; but keeping a horse 

 constantly in a box I consider a mild degree of 

 solitary confinement. I think I may say all 

 quadrupeds that are not fera natures are gre- 

 garious, and horses are naturally so, and confine- 

 ment in a solitary box deprives him of enjoying 

 one of the first impulses of his nature. Turn him 

 into a pasture, be the food ever so tempting, he 

 will leave it, and clear the largest fence to join 

 any horses he may see or hear near him. I am 

 quite sure that horses are happier, and, conse- 

 quently, do better in stables than in boxes, unless 

 they are made with open work at a height that they 

 can both hear and see their companions. Entire 

 horses, that is, those that are highly bred, must 

 be kept by themselves. They are so accustomed 

 to it, that they would generally savage other 

 H 3 



