212 TAMING ZEBRAS 



been considered as ungovernable and irreclaimable by 

 man, which, by the way, is all sheer nonsense, for, barring 

 a few individuals exhibited in menageries, caught wild 

 from their native plains, we have had no opportunity of 

 trying our hands on this quadruped. And Oliver Gold- 

 smith says, after speaking of the ferocity of the zebra, 

 " Notwithstanding this, I believe, were the zebra taken 

 up very young and properly treated, it might be made as 

 tame as another animal ; and Merolla, who saw many of 

 them, asserts that when tamed (which he speaks of as 

 being common enough) they are not less estimable for 

 their swiftness than their beauty/' Again, Dapper in- 

 forms us that four zebras were sent from Africa purposely 

 to draw the coach of the King of Portugal, and that the 

 experiment was attended with complete success. 



My present object, however, is to enlarge on the nature, 

 management, and education of young horses. In the 

 first place, then, the horse is naturally nervous and 

 timid ; I have seen some with every pore in their skin 

 distilling with perspiration, and have heard others scream 

 from terror. To what are so many accidents with horses 

 attributable ? We hear constantly of their taking fright 

 at some object or noise to which they have been im- 

 accustomed, running away, dashing carriages to pieces, 

 or throwing their riders. What so common a fault with 

 horses as shying at objects on the road, or terrified by a 

 bird fluttering out of a hedge ? I could adduce hundreds 

 of incidents and accidents with horses which would prove 

 incontestably that the horse is by nature a timid animal. 

 In his wild state also he trusts to his speed, rather than 

 to his hoofs or teeth, to defend himself from his enemies. 



Now, as to tractability and docihty, the horse is formed 

 to be the slave, as the dog is to be the companion, of man ; 



