24 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 



and horses are repeatedly seen to weep under acute 

 pain or brutal usage. Mr. Lawrence, speaking of 

 the cruelty exercised by some dealers in what they 

 call " firing" a horse before he is led out for sale, in 

 order to rouse every spark of mettle, says, " More than 

 fifty years have passed away, and I have before ray 

 eyes a poor mare stone blind, exquisitely shaped, and 

 showing all the marks of high blood, whom I saw un- 

 mercifully cut with the whip a quarter of an hour be- 

 fore the sale, to bring her to the use of her stiffened 

 limbs, while the tears were trickling down her cheeks" 

 The size, setting on, and motion of the ear, are im- 

 portant points. Ears rather small than large, placed 

 not too far apart, erect and quick in motion, indicate 

 both breeding and spirit ; and if a horse is in the fre- 

 quent habit of carrying one ear forward, and the other 

 backward, and especially if he does so on a journey, 

 he will generally possess both spirit and continuance. 

 The stretching of the ears in contrary directions shows 

 that he is attentive to everything that is passing round 

 him ; and while he is doing this he cannot be much 

 fatigued, or likely soon to become so. It has been re- 

 marked, that few horses sleep without pointing one 

 ear forward and the other backward, in order that they 

 may receive notice of the approach of objects in every 

 direction. When horses or mules march in company 

 at night, those in front direct their ears forward, those 

 in the rear direct them backward, and those in the 



