184 HANDS, HEELS, AND HEADS. 



taught to do in the field what his master should do 

 after dinner take enough, and not too much: doing 

 the reverse will tell on both in time. 



It is all very well to say that some men, like the 

 friend I mentioned on my thorough-bred, will drive a 

 horse in, through, or over anything; this will do 

 and is quite proper with a horse who knows how to 

 do his business, but will shirk it if he can ; but it 

 will not do with a young one. If you are on an old 

 offender, who, from sheer roguishness, will swerve or 

 balk his fences if he can, keep an ash-plant between 

 his ears that you have taught him will visit one or 

 other side of his nose, according to the side he swerves 

 to ; send him at it so as to persuade him he must go 

 in, if he does not go over: if he should choose the 

 former, which is very unlikely under such circum- 

 stances, afford him no assistance to get out till you 

 have given him a good thrashing while in : he got 

 into the scrape from laziness or roguishness, and 

 deserves all he gets. Strongly as I at all times ad- 

 vocate the greatest kindness to horses, I can be as 

 severe as anybody with a lazy or badly disposed one, 

 and can bring both hands and heels into pretty free 

 use ; but I hope I always use some head in considering 

 whether a refusal of my wishes proceeds from igno- 

 rance or inability, or from other causes : too many 

 horses, I fear, suffer when the former is the case. 



While writing these wandering observations, the 

 heels have had a sinecure. I have made considerable 

 use of the hands, and some, though perhaps very in- 

 different, use of the head. I shall, however, now use 

 the latter for a purpose to which, perhaps, my reader 

 may say I ought to have devoted it long ago making 

 my bow. 



