237 



Ni:W ENGLAND FARMEU, 



Feb. 9, 1832 



TREATMENT OF THE HORSE. 



The harshness and abuse with which we see this no- 

 ble animal, ami useful servant of man, daily treated in 

 our streets, give to the following remarks, on the educa- 

 tion and treatment of the horse, mucli worth and interest : 

 — They are by Thomas R. Vare, of London, and are co- 

 pied, by 'The Friend,' (a paper published in Philadel- 

 phia,) from the 'Sporting Magazine.' 



' Biiffoii says, " horses iu their natural state are 

 by no means ferocious ; they are only wild ami 

 fiery ;" and it may be added with equal truth, that 

 they are not naturally vicious : for their ill tempers, 

 as well as manners, originate entirely from defec- 

 tive education, and rough handling. 



' Harsh usage and punishment are of no avail as 

 corrections: for, under cruel discipline, the horse 

 becomes more obstinate, morose, and irritable, and 

 is very soon rendered dangerous of approach. If, 

 on the contrary, you use him kindly, and he finds 

 that instead of a tyrant, he has a friend about him, 

 he will be under your hands as tractable as a lamb ; 

 in fact so subservient that you may do anything 

 with him — for it is well known to those acquaint- 

 ed with the nature of the horse, that no animal is 

 more susceptible of soothing, nor more docile and 

 grateful for gentle usage, as he invariably evinces 

 cheerfulness on the api)roach of the person from 

 whom he receives kind treatment. 



' An occupation for which I have always felt a 

 peculiar partiality, has been, the study of the tem- 

 per and disposition of the horse ; and, from the ob- 

 servations I have iu consequence made, am convin- 

 ced, that a multiplicity of errors are conunitted 

 from ignorance of his true character in the rearing 

 and tuition of that noble animal, which afterwards 

 falls heavily and very unjustly on him. 



' Many horses have been intrusted to my care 

 for correction, under the supposition that they were 

 bad tempered, or viciously disposed, which, in 

 other hands, would, without doubt, have been act- 

 ed upon accordingly — i. e. rendered more faulty by 

 harsh proceedings. On acquaintance with them, I 

 generally found the poor animals to be only ner- 

 vous and irritable from ill treatment, rather than vi- 

 cious by nature ; in short, " more sinned against 

 than sinning:" for no soouer had I gained their 

 confidence, than the tremulous awe and timidity 

 they evinced on being approached, totally disap- 

 peared ; aud afler a short trial, I have returned 

 them to their owners, divested of the alleged com- 

 plaints, with this simple injunction, or something 

 tantamount to it, " Use him kindly, for vicious con- 

 duct makes vicious horses ;" at the .same time urg- 

 ing, them to bear in mind, " that the horse is natu- 

 rally of a gentle disposition, and much disposed to 

 associate with man." 



' This may be exemplified by any gentleman re- 

 collecting the pleasure a horse seems to feel when 

 noticed and caressed by himself; yet, on scrutiny, 

 the same demonstrations of joy will not take place 

 on the approach of the attendant. Education 

 generally imparts humanity and feeling to its pos- 

 sessor ; and a gentleman enjoying these qualities 

 more eminently than his domestics, the animal's 

 discrimination causes him to recognise a difference 

 in the behaviour of each towards lum. 



' Grooms are too prone to be harsh and hjisty 

 towards the horse ; whereas, if they would only 

 study to make a pleasure of their duty, they would 

 considerably abbreviate the routine of their labor. 

 In consequence of erroneous conduct, horses will 

 occasionally acquire a character for viciousness 

 among stable men, which cannot be substantiated 

 on reasonable grounds, the presence of the owner 



being frequently a complete refutation to the 

 assertion. 



' Horses usually evince attachment towards 

 those who use them Idndl}'. His late majesty, 

 George III., had a favorite charger named Adonis. 

 — Whenever the king, on visiting his stables, 

 chanced to pass near enough for Adonis to hear 

 his voice, the animal would commence whining 

 with joy, and his recognition of his master was 

 always accompanied with so much noise, that, to 

 quiet him, his majesty would invariably command 

 him to be saddled and led forth. Having rode 

 him for a few minutes round the premises, the 

 gratified animal would then return peaceably to 

 his quarters ; but had the king not humored his 

 wish, the animal would have become uproarious. 

 ' Till within a very short period, I was not 

 aware any person had publicly treated on the sub- 

 ject of humanity to horses with the same views 

 entertained by myself; but I perceive with pleas- 

 ure, in a review of a work printed on the contin- 

 ent, that the author justifies my opinion, and 

 corroborates the truth of my remarks. One 

 extract I have preserved, which I cannot do better 

 than quote. 



' " It is justly asserted, in the best works of rural 

 economy and the veterinary art, that no horses are 

 naiurally vicious. When they become vicious the 

 reason is, because we pay too little attention to the 

 horse, and do not study his nature sufficiently ; 

 and hence rather resort to the whip and spur, to 

 signify our wishes to this noble animal, than to 

 kind and gentle treatment. In a word, we know 

 not how to make ourselves intelligible to the horse, 

 It seems truly astonishing, that horses in general 

 are not more obstinate ; and that, in the conscious- 

 ness of their strength, they do not strive more to 

 rid themselves of their slavery, when we consider 

 how severely, cruelly, and barbarously, these 

 generous beasts are treated. How often are they 

 beaten and ill used, frequently without any cause ! 

 and how seldom, on the other hand, are they 

 addressed in terms of commendation aiul encotn-- 

 agement, aud still less rewarded ! and yet attentive 

 observers have ascertained, that the horse, like the 

 elephant and dog, possesses a sensibility of the 

 nerves which might be termed a sense of honor, 

 and which 

 blame." 



which, iiuderjuilicious managcmeiU, would doubt- 

 less have been realized. 



' For a long series of years I have been in the 

 habit of making observations on the errors coin- 

 luiited in the usual treatment and training of horses; 

 and I am convinced, from experience deduced by 

 long study of the nature of horses, and continual 

 intercourse with them, that mild discipline is the 

 sine qua nan of stable-mauagement, and it is the 

 interest of every proprietor to see it enforced. 

 Patience and good temper are carditud requisites 

 in a groom. Horses have very retentive memo- 

 ries, and seldom forget the unruly tricks or habit* 

 acquired from improper and hasty handhngs.' 



1 Sulln 



Morul Clusa Book. 



INTEMPERANCE. 



Let us look iu upon a gay conqiany of young 

 persons, around a table, and half concealed by 

 tobacco smoke. What sort of air are they 

 breathing ; what sort of substances are they casting 

 into their physical system, already bursting with 

 excess ; what sort of thoughts have they in their 

 minds; and what sort of words is flowing from 

 their lips? We could, but will not answer these 

 questions for them. Let us pass by this revel, and 

 go to the next day's morning. We might then 

 ]Mopoimd some other questions. Are not their 

 luads heavy, hot aud throbbing? Are not their 

 eyes thick aud burning ? Are not their tongues 

 white and parched? Do not the nerves tremble? 

 Is not the mind muddy and confused ? In what 

 condition are they to perform duties to themselves, 

 to those they serve, to iustructers, to aflectionate 

 l)arents ? Is not this dear bought pleasure ? How 

 long can nature bear to he pleased in this manner? 

 This matter does not stop here. The same .scene 

 is repeated again and again. Soon, habit asserts 

 its awfid dominion ; and then the scene must be 

 repeated. The craving cannot be resisted. From 

 social drinking, the step is an easy one to solitary 

 drinking? These is no resting place for habit; 

 everything in this system of being must keep on, or 

 end. 



It is believed that the sort of criminal excesses 



to which we allude are not from the i)ronipting3 

 is equally susceptible of praise and j of nature. We venture to assert that they are 

 I entirely artificial in the beginning. It seems 

 ' Vicious habits may likewise he ascribed to irrational that any one should like to take more of 

 imperfect training. For instance : a horse is I anything than nature requires ; and more .so that 

 eiurusted for that purpose, to the care of a person lone should naturally desire to fake burning liquids, 

 totally unacquainted with the manner of treating to the degree of intoxication, or perhaps to take 

 him, consequently incapable of judging whether them at all. It is believed there is no siu'h natural 

 the horse be qualified by nature to fulfil the propensity ; but that such liquids when first taken 

 intentions of the owiier. The age and strength afford less pleasure than pure water. The taste 



of tlie animal have 'not been taken into consider 

 ation ; and his incapacity to undergo the fatigue 

 allotted to him, although proceeding from weak- 

 ness, has very incorrectly been ascribed to 

 stubborness and obstinacy. Resistance, as may 

 be expected, has been the natural consequence ; 

 harsher usage has followed ; the temper of the 

 animal has become soured ; and he has really 

 imbibed a vicious character, which, at the onset, 

 was only imaginary. The result has been open 

 warfare between him and his rider, in which the 

 latter seldom gained an ascendency ; and the former 

 has never been duly trained for the purpose for 

 which he was destined ; indeed he has frequently 

 been rendered quite unseniceable, and become 

 afterwards a drug in the market, though nature 

 had intended him to be useful in many capacities ; 



for these articles is created by association, by 

 imitation, by fellowship ; and above all, because 

 there is a kind of tradition tliat it is manly to 

 drink. Songs in praise of the juice of the grape, 

 (we do not remember to have heard of any in 

 praise of brandy or whiskey,) have some effect in 

 the delusion of drinking. There is a fascination 

 in combined poetry and melody. Such combina- 

 tions are well known to have the most ])owerful 

 influence in national associations. They inspire a 

 feeling which bears men on to victory, or death. 

 The songs of Bacchus do the same. They conquer 

 the strength of those who sing, and of those who 

 listen to them, and sometimes lay their admirers, 

 not in the bed of honor, but of contempt. We 

 have nothing to say against poetry and music ; far 

 otherwise. We believe this world was made for 



