A TAIL OF 1846. 259 



to keep the multitude in order. These horses, though 

 in high condition and full of spirits, suffer themselves 

 to be surrounded by crowds, and in fact leaned 

 against by men, women, and children, without ever 

 attempting to lift a leg in return. I must mention 

 an act of docility on the part of one of these horses, 

 and of kindness and gallantry on that of one of these 

 fine corps, that did great credit to both. 



At one of our public processions, a lady had 

 inadvertently got mixed up with the crowd : being 

 seriously alarmed, she attracted the attention of the 

 soldier, who, as the readiest and only mode of ex- 

 tricating her from the difficulty, desired her to take 

 hold of his horse's tail : she had sense and resolution 

 enough to do this : he rode forward, thus clearing her 

 a passage out, when he left her in safety. 



Probably the same docility and goodness of temper 

 might make this horse draw quietly if he was tried ; 

 but it by no means follows that he would do so. He 

 had no fear of a crowd, because he was habituated to 

 be in one; but he might kick violently at a gig to 

 which he was not habituated. This would proceed 

 from alarm, not vice. I think I have read that the 

 Egyptians in some cases made their cattle draw by 

 their tails, and there can be no doubt but that, 

 accustom a horse to do- so, he would draw any light 

 carriage as willingly by his tail as by his shoulders. 

 It would be rather a novel, and I conceive a useless 

 exhibition here ; but there can be no doubt that if a 

 horse was by degrees accustomed to feel a carriage 

 touching his quarters, instead of such an occurrence 

 being scrupulously prevented, he would be all the 

 safer for it in case by any breakage such a thing did 

 occur. It is true we cannot habituate a horse to 



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