716 THE HUNTER. 



MANY thorough-bred Horses which are not suitable for the purposes of the turf are 

 admirably adapted for the chase, and are trained for that purpose. The body of the 

 Hunter should not be so long as that of the racer, and requires greater compactness, in 

 order that he may not fatigue himself by taking too long a stride over ploughed land. 

 A comparatively large foot is required, in order to save it from being destroyed by the 

 rapid alternation of soft and hard ground which the animal is obliged to traverse, and 

 which would batter a small contracted foot to such an extent as to render the Horse 

 useless. The low shoulders of Eclipse would be very injurious in a Hunter, on account 

 of the numerous and trying leaps which it is often called upon to perform. 



The best bred Horses are generally the most affectionate and docile, although their 

 spirit is very high, and their temper hot and quick. There are few animals which are 

 more affectionate than a Horse, which seems to feel a necessity for attachment, and if 

 his sympathies be not roused by human means, he will make friends with the nearest 

 living being. Cats are great favorites with Horses, and even the famous Chillaby, called, 

 from his ferocity, the Mad Arabian, had his little friend in the shape of a lamb, which 

 would take any liberties with him, and was accustomed to butt at the flies as they came 

 too near his strange ally. The Godolphin Arabian was also strongly attached to a cat, 

 which usually sat on his back, or nestled in the manger. When he died, the cat pined 

 away and soon followed her loved friend. 



These examples are sufficient to show that the ferocity of these animals was caused 

 by the neglect or ignorance of their human associates, who either did not know how 

 to arouse the affectionate feelings of the animal, or brutally despised and crushed them. 

 The Horse is a much more intelligent animal than is generally supposed, as will be 

 acknowledged by any one who has possessed a favorite Horse, and treated it with 

 uniform kindness. 



There is no need for whip or spur when the rider and steed understand each other, 

 and the bridle is reduced almost to a mere form, as the touch of a finger, or the tone of 

 a voice, is sufficient to direct the animal. We are all familiar with the elephantine 

 dray-horses that march so majestically along with their load of casks, and which 

 instantaneously obey the singular sounds which continually issue from the throats of 

 their conductors, and back, stop, advance, or turn to the right or left, without requiring 

 the touch of a rein or the blow of a whip. The infliction of pain is a clumsy and a 

 barbarous manner of guiding a Horse, and we shall never reap the full value of the 

 animal until we have learned to respect its feelings, and to shun the infliction of torture 

 as a brutal, a cowardly, and an unnecessary act. To maltreat a child is always held 

 to be a cowardly and unmanly act, and it is equally cowardly and unworthy of the 

 human character to maltreat a poor animal which has no possibility of revenge, no hope 

 of redress, and no words to make its wrongs known. Pain is pain, whether inflicted 

 on man or beast, and we are equally responsible in either case. 



As an unprejudiced observer, with no purpose to serve, and without bias in either 

 direction, I cannot here refrain from observing, that Mr. Rarey's method of bringing the 

 Horse under subjection is a considerable step in the right direction, and a very great 

 improvement on the cruel and savage method which is so often employed by coarse and 

 ignorant men, and truly called " breaking." Having repeatedly witnessed the successful 

 operations of that gentleman, in subduing Horses that had previously defied all efforts, 

 I cannot be persuaded that it is a. cruel process. The method by which it is achieved is 

 now sufficiently familiar, and I will only observe, that the idea is a true and philosophical 

 one. The Horse is mostly fierce because it is nervous, and bites and kicks, not because 

 it is enraged, but because it is alarmed. Restore confidence, and the creature becomes 

 quiet, without any desire io use its hoofs and teeth in an aggressive manner. It is 

 clearly impossible to do so as long as the animal is at liberty to annihilate its teacher, 

 and the strap is only used until the Horse is convinced that the presence of a human 

 form, or the touch of a human hand, has nothing of the terrible in it. Confidence 

 soon takes the place of fear, and the animal seems to receive its teacher at once into 

 its good graces, following him like a dog, and rubbing its nose against his shoulder. 



The ingenuity of the Horse is very considerable, and the creature will voluntarily 

 perform acts that display a considerable amount of intellect. From a number of 



