MISCELLANEA. 
597 
but as the horse’s portrait has begn taken, and his fame repeat- 
edly recorded, 1 think it is not impossible that the history of the 
Dishley horse may, at some future period, be read with no less 
admiration than the history of Bucephalus is at the present day. 
I shall not presume to suppose that Mr. Bakewell would 
appear as great as Alexander when mounted on Bucephalus, nor 
do I think it likely that he should be mounted ; but for the pur- 
pose of recording Mr. Bakewell’s knowledge of horsemanship I 
shall here beg leave to mention, that his accurate judgment of 
animal nature made him perfectly well acquainted with the subject. 
If Alexander, in the full activity of youth, was so fortunate to 
manage a horse that was accidentally frighted at his own 
shadow, much more may be said of Mr. Bakewell, who, at an 
advanced period of his life, not only conquered a vicious restive 
horse, but, without the assistance of either grooms or jockies, 
taught this horse to obey his verbal orders with as great attention 
as the most accomplished animal that was ever educated at 
Astley’s school. Mr. Bakewell was accustomed to say, that his 
horse could do any thing but speak ; and I have no doubt that if 
Captain Gulliver, who was well acquainted with the language of 
the Houyhnhnyms, had been living, the abilities of this animal 
would have been better known. 
The method which Mr. Bakewell made use of to conquer this 
vicious animal was never told, even to his own domestics. He 
ordered his own saddle and bridle to be put on this horse, which 
at that time was thought to be ungovernable, when he was pre- 
pared for a journey of two or three hundred miles, and, that no 
one might be witness to the contest, he led the horse till he was 
beyond the reach of observation. How far he walked, or in what 
manner this great business was accomplished, was never known ; 
but when he returned from his journey the horse was as gentle 
as a lamb, and would obey his master’s verbal orders on all occa- 
sions. When what are called irrational animals are taught such 
strict obedience to the commands of those of a superior order, it 
is, in general, supposed to be the effect of fear; but Mr. Bakewell 
never made use of either whip or spur; when on horseback he 
had a strong walking-stick in his hand, which he made the most 
use of when on foot. He always rode with a slack rein, which he 
frequently let lie upon the horse’s neck; and so great was his ob- 
jection to spurs, that he never wore them. It was his opinion 
that such animals might always be conquered by gentle means ; 
and such was his knowledge of animal nature, that he seldom 
failed in his opinion, whether his attention was directed to the 
body or the mind. 
Hunt's Agricultural Memoirs, p. 123. 
4 K 
