26 



MODERN HORSE MANAGEMENT 



[chap. Ill 



inferior trainer uses at times cruel methods that 

 the good trainer has no need to use. With the 

 horse, no cruel methods will bring results worth 

 speaking of ; punishment in the right place, 

 given while the trainer's temper is under perfect 

 control, is not cruelty. The trainer on the stage 

 who adopts cruel methods, or who has animals 

 which show signs of cruel treatment, gives him- 

 self away as being an incapable man in his 

 profession. {See Sees. 2 and 3.) 



Cruelty of Horse Dealers 



98. This subject is discussed in Chapters XIII. 

 and XV. Until our laws are very much im- 

 proved, so long will horse dealers continue to 

 torture and drug horses in order to deceive the 

 public and to benefit their own pockets. I am 

 most thankful to say that many of these wretched 

 human parasites have had their businesses 

 ruined through the advent of the motor — they 

 may be trying their tricks upon the public with 

 motor-cars, but even if they are, they will not be 

 torturing dumb animals which have no defence. 



Some horse dealers will do almost anything 

 to a horse to prevent him from showing signs of 

 lameness, or from showing bad tricks, or to 

 make him appear high-spirited. Drugs are used 

 to ease pain and to make a horse feel fresh ; 

 over-feeding on soft feed and want of exercise 

 are resorted to to keep the horse fat and to 

 make him feel fresh. Nerves are cut to hide 

 lameness, and, worst of all, a sound foot may 

 be injured in order to make the horse go 

 apparently sound on the unsound foot, i.e. by 

 having both legs injured he cannot favour 

 one leg. 



I think the greatest enemy that the horse has 

 is the horse dealer. What horse dealer will not 

 mutilate the horse to any degree merely to suit 

 a prevailing fashion or the foolish fancies of an 

 ignoramus who wishes to buy a horse? All 

 horse dealers' stables should be open to public 

 inspection by the police and humane societies 

 at all times ; so should most large stables. For 

 the horse's sake, the quicker the motor takes his 

 place for commercial and showy purposes the 

 better. 



