BITING. 123 



pensity it may, is looked on by many owners of 

 horses as a very minor sin ; in fact, such owners 

 as seldom or ever visit their horses in the stable, 

 seem to hold biting as a little kind of playfulness 

 in the horse, though they have a more than or- 

 dinary terror of one inclined to kick at people. 

 This wide difference in their estimation of these 

 vices, arises from their own persons being far 

 oftener endangered by the one than by the other. 

 The favours of the biting horse are only conferred 

 on their groom, who, I suppose, they consider is 

 (as the eels are to be skinned) used to it ; for as 

 but few horses have opportunity to bite out of 

 the stable, and indeed few much disposed then to 

 do so. Master is safe enough ; but any propensity 

 to kick at him when preparing to mount, brings 

 on strong apprehension of personal danger, and 

 then Master greatly dislikes a vicious horse. 



Xow owners who are accustomed to go up to 

 their horses in their stalls, will agree with me that 

 of the two, a horse disposed to bite is worse than 

 one disposed to kick ; for he will effect his purpose 

 ten times w^here the other will once, and for this 

 reason — the kicker throws out on finding some- 

 thing or somebody approaching ; the chances are, 

 if he does kick, he misses hitting his object ; and 

 again, by watching the proper time, we can get 

 beyond the reach of his heels, namely, to his head 

 or shoulder : but the biter stares us full in the 



