54 THE HUNTING-FIELD. 



slavery to a horse^ I consider it slavery to ride or 

 drive liim. What renders work slavery must not 

 be calculated by the quantum of the work, but 

 by the capability of the animal to endure it. 

 "Who would ride a four or five years' old hardy 

 constitutioned race-horse in training for pleasure ? 

 I would as soon ride an ass ; in fact, many a well- 

 used lively one would be the pleasanter animal. 

 I allow such a race-horse as I allude to probably 

 is in the best possible state and form he can be 

 for great performance, but his work having neces- 

 sarily been made a bore to him, renders it a bore 

 to ride him. He is a machine wound up to the 

 highest point to qualify him for a certain exer- 

 tion to win money, and that is all that is looked 

 to by trainer or owner. 



The horses we ride or drive for pleasure should 

 also be in the highest possible state of condition 

 for the purposes for which we use them ; and this 

 they may be with still having vivacity and energy 

 enough to make them do their work with willing- 

 ness. This difference may be explained by com- 

 paring a hard-worked country plate-horse with a 

 two years' old ; both are in training, and both, we 

 will suppose, in their best form ; but the training 

 of the one is a perfect bore to him, while to the 

 other it is little more than healthy recreation. 

 The first, on being saddled for exercise, will stretch 

 and yawn like a man unwillingly aroused from 



