108 THE POCKET AND THE STUD. 



horses : some will swerve away from them : others 

 will not pass them. None of this shows the most 

 kindly disposition. I do not say that their being 

 kept solitary is the sole or absolute cause of this 

 ferocity, but I am quite sure it contributes to it. 

 All these things are tolerated in the race-horse. 

 How far treating him in a different way would 

 be beneficial or judicious, is not to my present 

 purpose ; but for whatever purpose we design 

 the horse, there can be no doubt but the better- 

 tempered he is the better adapted to that purpose 

 he will be. 



I always reason, or at least attempt to reason, 

 from something like analogy ; and there is much 

 more of analogy between the disposition, temper, 

 and temperament of the horse and ourselves than 

 is generally supposed to exist. For instance, our 

 bed is a soothing luxury to the sick or wearied 

 frame ; so is the box to the sick or wearied horse ; 

 and so long as the debility attendant on either 

 remains, so long will the bed or box be welcome 

 and grateful to the feelings to a certain extent, 

 but no further; for the bed-ridden patient be- 

 comes tired of his monotony. And keep the 

 healthful in the same situation, he would become 

 nervous, timid, and silly, or morose and misan- 

 thropic, from want of community with his fellow 

 man. The bed and the box, under the same cir- 

 cumstances, have, I consider, analogous effects on 



