216 



THE CABINET OP NATURAL HISTORY 



whether the horse be qualified by nature to fulfil the inten- 

 tions of the owner. The age and strength of the animal 

 have not been taken into consideration; and his incapacity 

 to undergo the fatigue allotted to him, although proceeding 

 from weakness, has very incorrectly been ascribed to stub- 

 bornness and obstinac3^ Resistance, as may be expected, 

 has been the natural consequence; harsher usage has follow- 

 ed; the temper of the animal has become soured; and he 

 has really imbibed a vicious character, which, at the onset, 

 was only imaginary. The result has been open warfare be- 

 tween liim and his rider; in which the latter seldom gained 

 an ascendancy; and the former has never been duly trained 

 for the purpose for wliich he was destined; indeed, he has 

 frequently been rendered quite unserviceable, and become 

 afterwards a drug in the market, though nature had intended 

 him to be useful in many capacities, wliich, under judicious 

 management, would doubtless have been realised. 



The nature of instruction requires that he who teaches 

 should be intelligent, and know how to make himself un- 

 derstood by his pupils, otherwise little good can be attained. 

 This is more essentially requisite in the rearing and tuition 

 of an irrational animal. When the teacher knows but little 

 himself, or has not the talent of imparting knowledge to his 

 scholars, the design of education is not fulfilled, and coer- 

 cive measures only aggravate the evil. A parity of reason- 

 ing will hold good with horses. 



For a long series of years I have been in the habit of 

 making observations on the errors committed in the usual 

 treatment and training of horses; and I am convinced, from 

 experience deduced by long study of the nature of horses, 

 and continual intercourse with them, that mild discipline is 

 the si)ie qua non of stable-management, and it is the inte- 

 rest of every jjroprietor to see it enforced. Patience and 

 good temper are cardinal requisites in a groom. Horses 

 have very retentive memories, and seldom forget the imruly 

 tricks or habits acquired from improper and hasty hand- 

 ling. 



I have just observed that crib-biting is oftentimes caused 

 by improjjer dressing. It also very generally dates its ori- 

 gin, according to the observations I have personally made, 

 to want of employment, as well as to imitation. 



Bad habits usually result from idleness. If we are inve- 

 terate smokers or snufT-takcrs, let us ask ourselves tiie rea- 

 son of our indulgence in these propensities? For the mo- 

 ment, probably, we cannot account for tiiem; but, after a 

 little reflection, are free to admit, that imitation and too 

 much leisure are the causes; and custom has tended to root 

 us so firmly to these habits, that to be debarred their indul- 

 gence, would to many persons be downright misery. As 

 with man, so it is with the horse. 



A crib-biter, or wind-sucker, should never be turned out 



to grass promiscuously with other horses, for he most 

 assuredly will get at the land marks and gates; and, whilst 

 indulging in his propensity, vvill naturally attract the notice 

 of his companions. Imitation, as I said before, is one of 

 the leading inducements to this destructive habit. I was 

 once an eye-witness to the fact of a horse, when in the 

 field, drawing the attention of four others from amongst the 

 number grazing, to his actions. They alternately began, 

 first to smell, and then to nibble at the place moistened by 

 the saliva of their comrade, and, as I prognosticated at the 

 time, became afterwards confirmed crib-biters. 



A horse, from want of exercise, will often take to crib- 

 bing from sheer idleness, or too much confinement in the 

 stable; and the abominable practice of tying the head to the 

 rack, produces, particularly in young highcournged horses, 

 an impatient restlessness. Some show their dislike of the 

 restraint by continual kicking with one or other of the hind 

 legs; others, by licking and nibbling the rack or manger, 

 till they imbibe a professed attachment to the vice, more 

 especially if, in the adjacent stall, they have a companion 

 addicted to crib-biting, and themselves a nice soft deal 

 manger, inviting them to enter upon their noviciate. 



Confinement in the stable for too long a period, has a 

 similar efi'ect on the horse, as too great an indulgence of 

 bed has on the human frame — it produces general debility 

 and weakness. My advice is, when the horse be not wanted 

 for service, to give him walking exercise in the open air, 

 three or four hours a day, allowing him plenty to eat and 

 drink; and if this do not keep hiin hale and fit for use, why, 

 get rid of him, as, to borrow a stable phrase, " he must be 

 rotten." When the weather will not permit of exercise in 

 the dry, put on a soft bit with players, for two hours in the 

 morning, and two hours in the afternoon; by an adherence 

 to which rule digestion is promoted, the loss of exercise 

 compensated, and, by the amusement the horse finds in the 

 bit, lie is not only kept out of mischief, but the carriage of 

 the head is greatly facilitated. Exercise improves the 

 appetite and strengthens the powers of digestion in a sur- 

 prising manner; hunger becomes keen; and food is taken 

 with eager relish, which is well known to be one of the 

 best signs of health. 



[To be continued.] 



QUADRUPEDS. 



Op the two htmdred species of Quadrupeds which Buffon 

 supposes to exist, he calculates, that about ninety are origi- 

 nal inhabitants of the Old Continent, and about seventy of 

 the New, and that forty may be accounted common to both. 

 Since the period when he wrote, the number of species has 

 been much increased. 



