20 THE HORSE. 



from each being equally ignorant of tlie meaning 

 and intentions of the other. Who would set the 

 blind to lead the blind ] Many serious accidents are 

 to be attributed to the cause now assigned. Some 

 men are very fond of racing on the road, priding 

 themselves on their horse's metal. This is, to say 

 the least of it, a very absurd and dangerous practice, 

 and one that no gentleman would follow. Admit- 

 ting that your horse may have the superiority over 

 another, still you may labour under disadvantages, 

 of which you are perhaps not aware. First, have 

 you equal weights 1 Next, are your horses of one 

 size ] Then, do your chaises run equally well ? 

 Are your wheels of the same size ] Have both 

 horses been performing a similar number of miles, 

 at the same pace, for any given period 1 Are they 

 of the same age ] Are they equally well bred 1 

 And have they been fed exactly alike ] Here are 

 nine questions, and on the answers to every one of 

 which much would inevitably depend in a match ; 

 and even these might be multiplied and dwelt upon 

 more at large. But if it were upon these grounds 

 only, trotting horses against each other indiscrimi- 

 nately would be great folly. And what is gained 

 by this silly practice, but suffering to the poor 

 animals — aching muscles and feverish feet] Even 

 i,i' you succeed in the match, you may never have the 

 satisfaction of exulting over your antagonist ; you 

 ma}"^ never know what opinion he has formed of your 

 own horse : you may never see him again ; or, if you 

 possi])ly do, he may plead any of the foregoing 

 reasons for being beaten himself. You have, there- 

 fore, all your exertions for nothing but the gratifica- 

 ti(jn of a paltry ambition, while your poor beast is 

 tlistressed by your folly. That this is the natural 

 consecjuence must be obvious to any one. But if 

 proof were necessary, here it is : you push the 

 rjnimrt] wantonly for some distance at the top of his 



