CONSTITUTION AND PACE. 145 



from the overstrained exertion, the injury, the tor- 

 ture, the destruction of the horse. That which is 

 true of the coach-horse, is equally true of every 

 other. Let each reader apply it to his own animal, 

 and act as humanity and interest dictate. 



It would be in vain to attempt any standard for 

 road coach-horses. They must be picked up where 

 they can be found, and, if possessed of action, the 

 rest must be left to chance. A good constitution 

 is desirable, for many die in the '' seasoning,"' as it 

 is called, on the road ; and a young green horse 

 cuts a poor figure in a fast coach. Coach-masters 

 are too much given to purchase infirm horses, by 

 which they incur loss, for, if quite sound, it is as 

 much as can be expected that they remain so for 

 any moderate length of time ; and we believe the 

 average duration of horses in fast work is not more 

 than four years, if purchased sound. Unsound 

 horses, then, cannot be supposed to last nearly so 

 long, independently of the cruelty of driving them. 

 The most likely horse, however, to stand sound, 

 and do his work well in a fast coach, is one, that, 

 with sufficient strength, and a good set of limbs, 

 has action sufficiently speedy to admit of his keep- 

 ing time without going at the top of his pace. 

 When this is the case, he runs his stage, from end 

 to end, within himself, and is as good at the last 

 as he was at the first ; but when he cannot com- 

 mand the pace, he soon becomes distressed, and is 

 weak at the end of his stage. This accounts for 

 sundry accidents having occurred by wheel-horses 

 being unable to hold back a loaded coach down hill. 



