30 COACH OWNERS, " HAVE AT YE ALL." 



along the road. Horses with shoulders where there 

 are deep-seated wounds, in which without any ex- 

 aggeration half an orange may be buried, are here 

 worked : here also are to be found others with legs 

 in that state that would call at once for the inter- 

 ference of the Society for the Suppression of Cruelty 

 if exhibited in open day. If that Society want full 

 occupation for their truly meritorious exertions, let 

 me recommend them to make a tour of the fast- coach 

 night-stables. This would some years since have 

 been, I allow, an Augean task : now, fortunately for 

 horses, night-coaches are scarce. No class of men 

 (speaking of them of course in a general way) have 

 so little even of the commonest feelings of humanity 

 towards horses as coach-masters, although it is by 

 the exertions of this very animal that they gain their 

 livelihood : they regard the horse, the coach, and the 

 harness precisely in the same light, and provided the 

 whole come in safe and keep time, they have no more 

 feeling for the unfortunate horse than they have for 

 the coach or harness : he brings the coach home ; that 

 is enough for them ; at what expense of suffering he 

 may do so they care not a pin. Should he become 

 so weak or lame that continuing him at work would 

 render him incurable, they kindly take him out of 

 the team, not from the slightest compassion towards 

 a faithful servant, but because, if they did not do this, 

 either death would ensue or he would be rendered 

 useless to them. The resting him therefore is a 

 consideration of pounds, shillings, and pence. But 

 the probability of death does not in all cases procure 

 for him an intermission of his labours. This depends 

 wholly on his value, and how far, in case this common 

 act of humanity were extended towards him, his sub- 



