138 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 



Having briefly enumerated only a few of the mutila- 

 tions which, in different regions of the earth, man inflicts, 

 not only upon the animals around him, but upon himself, 

 we will proceed to notice a prescription of modern date 

 which has produced very astonishing results. 



As in crime there exists an essential difference between 

 cutting off a man's head, and cutting off only his hair, so 

 in cruelty does there exist a similar difference between 

 the fashion which mutilates the body of an animal, and 

 that which deprives him only of its covering : still, how- 

 ever, the practice of clipping, shaving, and singeing horses 

 must, to every person, at first sight appear so incompre- 

 hensible that a slight notice of the subject may possibly be 

 deemed worthy of a few minutes' consideration. 



To a wild horse, roaming in a state of perfect freedom, 

 Nature grants an allowance very similar to that which 

 every inhabitant of Grosvenor Square gives to each of 

 his tall powdered footmen : namely, board, lodging, and 

 two suits of clothing per annum; with this important 

 difference, however, that while the poor pampered, gaudy 

 menial is ignorantly dressed throughout the whole year 

 in cloth and plush of the same thickness, the animal is 

 beneficently provided with two different descriptions of 

 clothing, namely, a light thin silky coat for summer 

 wear, and a thick fur one to keep him warm and com- 

 fortable throughout the winter months. 



