Crass I. ie @ RS 
winter. But we, by the abfurd and cruel cuftom 
of docking, a practice peculiar to our country, de- 
prive thefe animals of both advantages: in the laft 
war our cavalry fuffered fo much on that account, 
that we now feem fenfible of the error, and if we 
may judge from fome recent orders in refpeét to 
that branch of the fervice*, it will for the future 
be corrected. 
Thus is the horfe provided againft the two great- 
eft evils he is fubject to from the feafons: his na- 
tural difeafes are few ; but our ill ufage, or neglect, 
or, which is- very frequent, our over care of him, 
bring on a numerous train, which are often fatal. 
* The following remark of a noble writer on this fubject is 
- too fenfible to be omitted. 
‘ F muft own Iam not poffeffed with the Exgli/h rage of cut- 
¢ ting off all extremities from horfes. I venture to declare I 
€ fhould be well pleafed if their tails, at leaft a {witch or a 
‘ nag tail, (but better if the whole) was left on. It is hardly 
‘ credible what a difference, efpecially at a certain feafon of 
“the year, this fingle alteration would make in our cavalry, 
‘which though naturally fuperior to all other I have ever 
‘feen, are however, long before the end of the campaign, 
* for want of that natural defence againtt the flies, inferior to 
‘all: conftantly fweating and fretting at the picquet, tor- 
‘mented and ftung off their meat and ftomachs, miferable 
* and helplefs; while the foreign cavalry bruth off the ver- 
‘min, are cool and at eafe, and mend daily, infead of pe- 
‘ rifhing as ours do almoft vifibly in the eye of the be- 
€ holder.’ 
Method of breaking Horfes, &c. by Henry Earl of 
Pembroke, p. 68, 
Among 
TE. 
