CHAPTER IX 



STABLE SERVANTS 

 Syces — Grass-cutters— Shoeing-smiths — Riding-lads. 



Syces. — Although remarks on the management of native 

 stable servants hardly come within the scope of this work, 

 still the subject so nearly concerns the welfare of the 

 noble animal about which I am writing, that I cannot 

 refrain from offering the following hints for the use of 

 inexperienced horse-owners. 



I may state that the great art of getting on well with 

 one's servants, and, consequently, keeping them up to 

 their work, is to treat them in a uniformly just and 

 sympathetic manner, while always maintaining towards 

 them one's proper position as master. One should never 

 swear at, beat, or fine them. The first-mentioned prac- 

 tice is degrading to one's self; the second is cowardly and 

 illegal ; and the third is as silly as the proverbial one of 

 cutting off one's nose to spite one's face, for the syce will 

 in the large majority of cases, if fined, scamp his work, 

 or " take it out " of his horse, so as to make up for the 

 loss he has sustained. From a long experience among 

 stable servants, both in India and England, I can say 



