THE HORSE. 179 



horse is spoiled for other purposes ; and Adams con- 

 fesses, that the managed style of riding is unsuitable 

 to speedy trotting or galloping. To dress a horse 

 perfectly, not only is his mouth too much weakened, 

 as has been shown, but his body is so united, or 

 trussed together, his haunches so much drawn under 

 him, and he is so used to lift up his fore-quarters, 

 that his progressive powers are spent in the air, and 

 he can no longer project himself with his natural ra- 

 pidity in a horizontal direction. In plain English, he 

 loses the greater part of that qualification, so ex- 

 tremely valuable in England, his speed ; paivs awk- 

 wardly with his fore feet, maugre all his airs and 

 graces, and cannot put forth his science-shackled 

 limbs, without present pain and early fatigue. He 

 is suppled indeed, but he has acquired that kind of 

 suppleness which gives him the action of a crab. 



'< Again, respecting the managed seat, however 

 grand and chivalrous it may appear in a procession, 

 on which I shall hold no argument, surely its most 

 strenuous advocates must acknowledge, that it is 

 equally ludicrous upon any common occasion ; a man 

 with his hollow back, prominent belly and chest, 

 braced shoulders, stiff neck, straight and stiff legs 

 and thighs, mounted a cockhorse on the ordinary 

 occasions of business or pleasure, can scarcely fail of 

 exhibiting to the life, the hero of La Mancha ; and 

 more especially should his figure possess those na- 

 tural tendencies grateful to the burlesque which need 

 not be pointed out. 



" With a conviction of the inutility, expensiveness, 

 and injury of the thorough menage, and with a simi- 



