HORSES KICKING IN HARNESS. 261 



of the cab. I made my way through a crowd of 

 all sorts of persons but the right sort, got up to 

 the horse, and, giving him two or three sharp 

 strokes under the back part of the knee with my 

 stick, caused him to lift his fore-leg, which I 

 caught, and held tight till I got one of the reins 

 and tied the leg fast doubled up ; of course this 

 stopped his kicking ; he struggled, and finding 

 himself hampered, squealed like a pig, but he could 

 not kick without throwing himself down. Having 

 done so far, I left Cabby, who seemed too much 

 frightened to thank me. He had not had as many 

 Irish kickers in harness to deal with as I have. 

 They can kick. 



Horses are not naturally vicious animals ; and 

 when they rebel against our wishes, nine times in 

 ten it proceeds from having been previously 

 frightened, being at the time alarmed, not under- 

 standing what we want them to do, or their spirit 

 or rage being roused by ill-usage. I allude to 

 English ; Irish horses are by no means so amen- 

 able, particularly as regards harness ; they appear 



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