AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 



239 



sity as ever. A horse will never become tractable under 

 fear, which is soon excited, as his timidity is proverbial. 

 What is rational can only be attained by rational ways; and 

 in nature an object cannot be compassed but by means con- 

 sistent with nature. The straps were invented without any 

 adherence to this maxim; hence their inutility and conse- 

 quent downfall. 



Covering the top of the manger with a sheep-skin, the 

 woolly side outwards, is a remedy still in vogue amongst 

 persons who act and move upon second-hand information. 

 This insignificant process continues a favorite, and is very 

 sagely recommended as a preventive in many of the provin- 

 ces. I have more than once seen it used as a precaution, 

 and in London too, above all places! 



The execrable and infamous custom of burning the palate 

 of the mouth as an antidote to crib-biting, cannot be too 

 strongly reprobated, and must not be passed over in silence: 

 but, without stopping to descant on the cruelty of this prac- 

 tice, I have merely to observe that the proselytes to it have 

 gained very little by their barbarity; as the horse is only 

 checked so long as the soreness and tenderness caused by the 

 cauterising exist, and no sooner has the pain subsided than 

 he recommences operations. Should a gentleman discover 

 the wound, the inflictors, ashamed of their proceedings, take 

 special care not to- divulge the real cause, but quibble and 

 prevaricate, till at length I have known them hit upon the 

 expedient of informing an inquirer that the poor thing had 

 been seared for the lampas, evincing by the subterfuge as 

 much ignorance as they possess want of feeling! 



Although a digression, I cannot help remarking that 

 burning for the lampas is a stigma to our national character, 

 and a disgrace to the veterinary practice. If we would only 

 have a little patience, Nature would in due course perform 

 her functions. The arrogant attempts of man to render her 

 precocious only aggravate the evil, by the unnecessary in- 

 fliction of torture on the horse. Let us allow time: Nature 

 will help herself without our aid, not only in this instance, 

 but in many others where cruelty is the order of the day. 

 But to proceed — 



The barbarous and inhuman use of pulleys, chains, and 

 straps as correctives, is a mode of treatment attended with 

 numberless injuries to men and horses. The latter have 

 not unfrequently been rendered unmanageable by them, as 

 is proved by the numerous accidents which have occurred 

 solely by their application. Several preventives which I 

 could name are a shame to humanity: tying the tongue, the 

 ear, and the tail with whipcord, and many other torturing 

 rough-riding tricks well known to a certain class of horse- 

 men, arc equally cruel, and not less prejudicial to the cha- 

 racter of the horse, as well as dangerous to the personal safe- 

 ty of the owner when using him. Experience teaches. 



that the natural timidity of this noble animal is increased 

 by repeated harsh usage; so that he loses all confidence in 

 man, makes resistance on every occasion when approached, 

 and at length becomes useless, or totally unserviceable. 



As I quote from memory, it cannot be expected that I 

 should enumerate all the cruel operations included in the 

 nomenclature of remedies for vicious horses, which deserve 

 the more appropriate designation of t07"ments. The inflic- 

 tions to which that generous animal is subjected, under the 

 mistaken notion of eradicating crib-biting or other bad ha- 

 bits, and rendering him more subservient to man, are shock- 

 ing to relate. The foremost in the rank of wickedness, and 

 which I shall select as a concluding elucidation of the sub- 

 ject of torture, are the lacerations committed on the tongue 

 of the poor ill-treated beast: sometimes by slitting it; on 

 other occasions cutting a portion of the tip completely ofiF; 

 at other times dividing the nerve; and in some instances 

 passing a red-hot tobacco pipe, or wire of an equivalent 

 thickness, underneath the tongue, thereby excoriating and 

 blistering the most sensitive and tender part of the organ. 

 Pro tempore! pro mores! these are refinements in cruelty 

 which " out Herod Herod," and may probably startle some 

 of my readers; but, unfortunately, they are but too true. 



But I am weary of the subject, and consider I have advan- 

 ced sufficient reasons to convince every person possessing a 

 spark of humanity, and at all interested in the welfare of do- 

 mestic animals, that it is high time something should be done 

 to relieve the sufferings, and rectify the injuries the horse has 

 received at our hands. If my feeble effiarts to obtain redress 

 for him be the means of procuring in his behalf advocates 

 of more intelligence and influence than I can boast, I shall 

 deem myself amply compensated, and anticipate with con- 

 fidence a speedy alteration for the better in the present er- 

 roneous system of stable management. 



THE CAPTIVE EAGLE. 



A BALLAD. 

 By Charles West Thomson. 



An Eagle sat on the stormy peak 



Of a mountain's rugged crag. 

 Where the winds of the winter whistled bleak 



And uttered their boisterous brag. 



His head was as bald as the clifl" where he sat. 

 And his neck was as white as its snow. 



And his eye was like that of the mountain cat, 

 When he glares on his prey below. 



