STABLE VICES 105 



quently prevent their exercising. There can be no doubt 

 that the less reasoning faculty the pupil is endowed with, 

 be it man or brute, the more enlightened should be the 

 preceptor. 



The horse comes next to the dog in point of acuteness of 

 instinct, the highest-gifted of those animals we have in a 

 domestic state ; or at least, from the tuition we bestow on 

 him, his instinct is the most developed. The ox, cow, sheep, 

 and swine aie left all but in a state of nature; the cow 

 comes to be milked — the others to be fed ; these are all the 

 demands made on them ; the labouring ox is a little more 

 taught, but nothing more than the commonest instinct 

 suffices to effect. The fact is, we want, in a general way, 

 no more services of such animals than instinct enables 

 them to perform. Even as regards the horse, highly as we 

 prize him, but little pains are taken with his education, if 

 the term may be used ; he is mostly broke to carry or go 

 in harness by very rude hands ; but no further pains are 

 taken with him. He will sometimes show considerable 

 cleverness in fencing ; this is only the effect of instinct and 

 practice. The dray-horse will quietly approach the trap- 

 door of the cellar, wait till his trace is fixed to the upcoming 

 cask, lean sideways, as it may be called, against the collar, 

 and on the cask reaching the pavement well knows that 

 what was wanted of him is achieved, and if called on will 

 willingly repeat the service. This is instinct, self-pos- 

 session, and practice. Even with amphitheatrical horses 

 " docility " is the one thing wanted. The " dancing " 

 quadrilles, as it is called, is not by " ear," as is pretended, 

 but by the hand and heel of the rider synchronously used 

 with the cadences. The horse learns to obey a signal or a 

 motion, and instinctive obedience does the rest. With these 

 arguments for a gentle system, we come to the subject of 

 Vices, so-called 



STABLE VICES. 



Restive while Cleaning. — We need hardly remark on the 

 difference of " terxiper " digplayed by different horses under 

 the hand of the groom. Horses that are steady and quiet 

 on the road and in the field cannot be dressed without 

 hazard to the strapper or groom, as w^ell as risk to them- 

 selves. This will often be found to be owing to a highly 



