^Nimrod ' 



do suffer a little in his work, he has twenty-three hours in 

 the twenty-four of luxurious ease. He is now almost a 

 stranger to the lash, nor do we ever see him with a 

 broken skin ; but we often see him kick up his heels 

 when taken from his coach, after having performed his 

 stage of ten miles in five minutes under the hour. So 

 much for condition. 



No horse lives so high as a coach-horse. In the language 

 of the stable, his stomach is the measure of his corn ; he 

 is fed ad libitum. The effect of this is visible in two ways : — 

 first, it is surprising to see how soon horses gather flesh in 

 this severe work ; for there is none, as far as muscular 

 exertion goes, more severe whilst it lasts : and, secondly, 

 proprietors find that good flesh is no obstacle to their speed, 

 but, on the contrary, operates to their advantage. Horses 

 draw by their weight, and not by the force of their muscles, 

 which merely assist the application of that weight : the 

 heavier a horse is, then, the more powerful is he in his 

 harness ; in short, it is the weight of the animal which pro- 

 duces the draught, and the play and force of his muscles 

 serve to continue it. Light horses, therefore, how good 

 soever their action, ought not to be put to draw a heavy 

 load, as muscular force cannot act against it for any great 

 length of time. 



The average price of horses for fast coaches may be 

 about twenty-five pounds. Fancy teams, and those work- 

 ing out of London, may be rated higher, say thirty pounds, 

 but taking a hundred miles of ground, well horsed, the former 



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