CHAPTEK IX. 



STABLE SERVANTS. 

 SYCES GRASS-CUTTERS SHOEING-SMITHS RIDING LADS. 



Syces. Although remarks on the management of 

 native stable servants hardly come within the scope 

 of this work, still the subject so nearly concerns the 

 welfare of the noble animal about which I am writing, 

 that I cannot refrain from offering the following hints 

 for the use of inexperienced horse owners. 



I may state that the great art of getting on well with 

 one's servants, and, consequently, keeping them up to 

 their work, is to treat them in a uniformly just and 

 sympathetic manner, while always maintaining, towards 

 them, one's proper position as master. One should 

 never swear at, beat, or fine them. The first-men- 

 tioned practice is degrading to oneself; the second is 

 cowardly and illegal ; and the third is as silly as the 

 proverbial one of cutting off one's nose to spite one's 

 face ; for the syce will, in the large majority of cases, 

 if fined, scamp his work, or " take it out " of his horse, 

 so as to make up for the loss he has sustained. From 

 a long experience among stable servants, both in India 

 and England, I can say with confidence, that, as a 

 rule, those of the former are as trustworthy, hard- 

 working and intelligent as those of the latter country : 

 and that, too, on, say, Es. 7 a month instead of 18 



