28ft EVILS OF MODERN STABLES. 



of the horse may be wet with perspiration ; or a badly -made saddle 

 may have disturbed the smoothness of the hair ; or the night may prove 

 rainy, aui the animal be brought home drenched to the skin. There 

 are other causes ; but be they what they may, the master walks off to 

 bed, while the servant, noting the example, extracts from it no additional 

 humor to discharge his duty. The man is, likewise, cross and sleepy. 

 He turns the horse into the stall without attempting to dress it. He 

 places oats and hay before the quadruped, and says, "If gentl'men will 

 remain out till all 'ours o' the night, they may sit up and dress their oss 

 'emselves ; for it is rather too much to expect any se'vant, after a 'ard 

 day's work, to keep out of his bed and do it for 'em." Accordingly, the 

 man hurries to his room, and soon sleeps soundly. 



The quadruped, when the satisfaction of hunger allows the personal 

 feelings to be appreciated, becomes aware that the partial dryness of the 

 coat has produced much irritability of the skin. The animal, therefore, 

 throws itself down, and commences to enjoy the luxury of a roll among 

 the straw. Darkness disables the vision ; but, were the light at its greatest 

 power, the horse, in its state of torture, would probably notice nothing 

 about it, for domestication destroys the natural instincts of all animals, 

 making man the custodian of the cares as well as the bodies of the cap- 

 tives. The paving of the stall, also, being highest near to the manger, 

 the inclination of the floor, together with the writhing of the body, oc- 

 casions the quadruped to insensibly slide backward, until the tension of 

 the collar-rope forbids its further progress. 



This check induces the wish to rise; an attempt is made to bring the 

 legs under the body for that object. But as this movement is endeavored 

 to be accomplished, the hinder shins strike violently against some hard 

 substance. The effort is renewed again and again ; till the animal, de- 

 prived of sight and prevented from supplying the loss of one sense by 

 the exercise of another, ultimately becomes alarmed, and the struggle 

 commences, during which the hind legs are certain to be bruised, abraded, 

 or other evils are sure to be inflicted upon the organs of propulsion. 

 Nor is this all the peril in which the creature is now placed. Noise 

 awakens the natural timidity of the companions ; and should other horses 

 be startled by the violent drumming on the partitions, probably they 

 will become the victims of alarm. The sight of the animals is likewise 

 useless in the utter darkness ; and horses, when frightened, usually "hang 

 back," or try to escape from the ropes which fasten the heads to the 

 several mangers. 



Under such an impulse, the obtruding legs stand a good cliance of 

 being broken ; and the animal then must remain in its misery till master 

 has approved the employment of a pistol. Should nothing beyond 



