THE STABLE. 109 



chained to his oar, he stands tied to his manger, he is 

 in a prison, from which it would be an act of humanity 

 to liberate him ; and accordingly, if the animal has faith- 

 fully served them for many years, they feel disposed to 

 reward him, as the great Duke of Wellington rewarded 

 his gallant war-horse Copenhagen, by " turning him out 

 for the rest of his life^ 



These notions, however, are perfectly erroneous. A 

 horse not only loves his stable, he not only never wishes 

 to leave it, but whenever he is taken out of it, although 

 he may have been confined in it for many months, he 

 no sooner gets out of the door than he evinces a desire 

 to re-enter it. Every horseman, every coachman knows 

 and feels that the difference between riding or driving, 

 especially a thoroughbred horse from or towards his stable 

 is so great, that while in the one case it is often necessary 

 to spur or flog him from his hom.e, the animal invariably 

 pulls hard, and on any trifling occurrence will start or 

 kick with joy, all the time he is returning to it ; and 

 his neighs, responded to by his comrades within, express, 

 in horse language, how pleased he is to get back to them, 

 and how glad they are to recover him. 



A horse loves his stable for the same reasons that ought 

 to induce his master to love his home — namely, because, 

 in society that pleases him, he lives well clothed, well 

 fed, and well housed ; and therefore (however well in- 



