78 DOMESTICATED ANIMALS 



came to be used to indicate a sound understanding, and in an 

 obscure way, but in a manner common with words, this has 

 led to a vague imphcation of mental capacity in the animals 

 whence the term is derived. The fact is that our horses, as 

 far as their mental powers are concerned, appear to be the 

 least improvable of our great domesticated animals. 



Horses for Towing on the Beach in Holland 



Little elastic as the horse appears to be on the psychic 

 side of its nature, in its physical aspects it is one of the most 

 plastic of all the forms subjected to the breeder's art. It 

 requires no more than a glance at the streets of our large 

 cities to see how great is the range in size, form, and carriage 

 of these animals which ma)^ be found in any of our great 

 centres of civilization. We readily perceive that these varia- 

 tions have a distinct relation to the several divisions of human 

 activity in which this creature has a share. The massive 



