I 



THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 35 



sympathy which animals show for each other when in 

 distress." 



Man may fully avail himself of this amiable dispo- 

 sition of the horse ; it is rarely the latter's fault if he 

 and his owner are not on the best possible terms. How 

 often has the horse been found grazing by the side of 

 his drunken, prostrate master, whom he would not 

 leave. "We have seen," says Mr. Elaine, " a child of 

 five years old purposely sent by the wife of the coach- 

 man to quiet an unruly and noisy coach-horse, for to 

 no other person would he yield such obedience ; but 

 a pat from her tiny hand, or her infantile inquiry 

 ' What is the matter with you ?' was sufficient to allay 

 every obstreperous symptom. But it was to her only 

 he yielded such submission, for otherwise he was a 

 high-spirited and really intractable animal. Often 

 has this child been found lying asleep on the neck of 

 the horse, when he had lain himself down in his stall, 

 and so long as she continued to sleep, so long the 

 horse invariably remained in his recumbent position." 



There is something almost mysterious in the man- 

 ner in which the horse contrives to pick his way in 

 safety through dangerous and deceitful ground, and 

 to discover and avoid perils of which his master is 

 quite unsuspicious. In all doubtful cases the animal's 

 head should be left free, that he may put his nose to 

 the ground, and examine it by touch, as well as by 

 sight and hearing (the muzzle is the peculiar organ of 





