446 HIGHWAYS AND HORSES. 



the slope of a hill, that, when he gallops down hill, his 

 head is not stuck up in the air so that he cannot see 

 where he is going, but is held in a natural and suitable 

 position, and one best qualified to maintain his balance. 

 I am told that even a dog's tail is of use to him in 

 maintaining his balance when running, and, when ob- 

 serving greyhounds coursing, one is almost inclined to 

 believe that this is the case, and that they who shorten 

 a dog's tail deprive him of an appendage which is 

 exceedingly requisite to him ; in fact, Nature provides 

 nothing that is of no use, although it may be exceed- 

 ingly difficult for us to understand the use of everything 

 which the Deity creates. Yet we may be certain that 

 every animal, and every part of an animal, is created 

 for some wise purpose, and that nothing would be 

 created that was simply superfluous and unnecessary — 

 not even a dog's tail ; and to see dogs mutilated by 

 having their tails cut off, as is frequently the case with 

 terriers and sheep-dogs, fills me with disgust. 



A horse, when down on the ground, always raises 

 his head before attempting to rise ; were his head con- 

 fined by a bearing-rein when in this position, I doubt if 

 he could get up at all. A horse is certainly not so liable 

 to stumble when he has no bearing-rein as when he 

 has one. I believe, if one only had the nerve to do 

 so, it would be safer to gallop down a steep hill when 

 riding with a loose rein than with a severe bit pulling 

 the horse's head up into the air. When a horse in 

 harness falls down in the slippery London streets, and 

 a crowd collects, there is always some individual in that 

 crowd who, anxious to display his familiarity with 

 equine matters, cries out, " Sit on his 'ead ! " — which 

 operation is very often performed in a very thoughtless 

 and cruel manner. The person who condescends to do 



