215 UNASKED ADVICE. 



will lie, worn out and diseased in body, but possessing^ 

 tlie same brave heart as of old, trundle a four-wlieeler, 

 against time, to catcb a train, containing, say a rural 

 family of four adults, tliree children, and their combined 

 luggage, and " go on ^' at the wretched trade, whose 

 wao^es are blows and hunofer, when a worse one would 

 sink under his load of misery. Think of this, individuals 

 before mentioned, and sell your old slave, whose glory 

 has been reflected on to you so often, to save j^ourselves 

 5/., 207., or 50?. if you choose — if you can ; but call your- 

 selves no longer by the honourable term of sportsmen, 

 and if you are at a loss for a designation come to me for 

 one ! Yet it is, after all, no affair of mine what becomes 

 of my neighbours^ horses, but in no way is the ingrati- 

 tude and hard-heartedness of our fellow-creatures so 

 apparent as in their treatment of dumb animals, and 

 horses specially. A dog cries out if you hit him, and 

 probably sulks ; a horse suffers in silence, and exerts- 

 himself the more. 



Having glanced at the miseries entailed on that noble 

 animal Equus Caballus by unsoundness, let us see whether 

 it be possible to at all events ward them off for a time — 

 in fact, to preserve our horses sound, and consequently 

 useful, and entitled to kind treatment for a little longer 

 space in his natural life. Most people who know any- 

 thing about the horse know that his natural life extends 

 to from twenty-five to thirty years, I have known a few 

 horses who have lived over the latter age, and worked to 

 within a short time before their demise ; but they are 

 rare instances ; and the oldest of them was only thirty- 

 three '' ofi'," nor was his work latterly very severe. He 

 was an old carriage horse. I also know a hunter of 

 twenty-one — at least I saw him in the field last season. 



