334 THE HOUSE AJTD HIS STRUCTURE. 



to the stiff rigidity of the toy-horse, the better is he 

 pleased. As if to increase the resemblance he even cuts 

 the mane short " hogs " it, as the expression is, so as to 

 make it look like the strip of fur glued on the neck of 

 the wooden horse. 



.Into the question of blinkers I do not purpose to 

 enter. But I unhesitatingly condemn them as bring 

 among the silliest of the many devices whereby man 

 has contrived to lessen the powers of the horse. The 

 notion that horses are guarded by them from taking 

 fright at alarming objects is utterly absurd, the horse 

 being nervously timid when its senses are partially 

 obscured, and dauntlessly courageous when facing a 

 known danger. The horses employed on the Midland 

 Railway wear no blinkers, and yet they walk about 

 among the screaming whistles, snorting and puffing 

 engines, as composedly as if they were in their own 

 stables, not even requiring to be led. To be consistent, 

 the horse's ears ought to be furnished with stoppers, so 

 as to prevent the animal from hearing any sound that 

 might frighten it. 



The only excuse for blinkers that has the least sense 

 in it is, that they may possibly save the eyes of horses 

 from the whips of brutal drivers. But as no man who 

 would flog a horse about the head ought to be intrusted 

 with a horse, even this very lame defence breaks down. 



Besides the reins, he attaches to the bit a leathern 

 strip called a " bearing-rein " I suppose because it is 

 hard for the horse to bear and fastens it to the saddle, 



