40 SORE BACKS 



This matter of sore backs furnishes a curious study. In 

 every southern country outside of the United States, and 

 among all wild or semi-civilized nations which are not 

 peculiarly horse lovers, no heed whatever is paid to saddle 

 or pack galls. The condition of the donkeys in the East, 

 in Africa, or in Spain and Italy, is as lamentable as it is 

 short-sighted. It never enters the minds of the owners 

 of these patient brutes that a sore back is a commercial 

 loss ; nor do they couple the idea of cruelty with dumb 

 creatures at all. It is not until you reach Teutonic na- 

 tions that both these ideas are extended so as to reduce 

 the discomfort of animals to a minimum. 



This is not so odd ; one does not have to be so very old 

 to remember the time when, even among us, calves were 

 tied by all four legs and slung head down on their way 

 to market ; when common pity never extended to ani- 

 mals. Even to-day, not very far from home, one may 

 find many breaches of the should - be commandment : 

 " Thou shalt treat thy dumb servant as thou wouldst thy 

 son." In those countries where the doctrine of transmi- 

 gration has obtained a hold on the people, animals are 

 better off ; one does not like to abuse a creature which 

 may contain the soul of one's great-grandmother. But 

 bad as the cruelty of neglect may be, an American Indian 

 is perhaps more actively cruel to his pony than any other 

 person. He never wears spurs, not even as a matter of 

 vanity, for spurs would prevent his pounding his ])ony 

 with his heels at every stride, as is his wont ; but he will 

 ride him till he drops dead in his tracks, when there is no 

 necessity of his making speed ; he will lash him to the 

 raw ; he will even stick his knife into him to make him 

 gallop faster, and an A]mclie will give his pony a dig with 

 his knife from sheer malice when he dismounts. 



