GENERAL HISTORY OF THE HORSE. 
415 
of spoken language. Few words, delivered with precision, 
accompanied by caresses and gentle treatment, will be found 
more effectual than any other course.* 
The domestication of the horse may be regarded as one 
of the most important acquisitions made by man from the 
animal kingdom. Without this useful quadruped, civiliza¬ 
tion must have made comparatively but little progress, and 
we should have been later by many centuries in emerging 
from barbarism. The horse contributes largely to our luxu¬ 
ries, pleasures, and service ; he facilitates and lessens the 
labours of the field ; he transports burdens, and man him¬ 
self, to the most distant parts, with certainty, celerity, and 
ease ; he is ever the faithful and obedient servant of his 
master. His form, sagacity, and temper, have been most 
admirably and wisely adapted for our use ; he is fitted in 
an eminent degree to fill a most important part in the scale 
of being. 
The horse is framed with such a pliability of physical 
structure and constitution, that man may mould him to the 
form or bulk best fitted for the particular service in which 
he is to be employed. Whether we contemplate the power¬ 
ful and symmetrical structure of his frame, the elegance of 
his limbs, evincing strength and speed in their movements; 
the delicacy and glossy sleekness of his skin; his large and 
sparkling eyes, which either beam with mild intelligence, or 
flash with energetic fire; or the docility and tractability of 
his disposition, we cannot fail to regard him as one of the 
noblest of animated beings. In addition to these qualities, 
he possesses the most intrepid courage ; he has been from 
most remote times the bearer of man in the field of carnage, 
* Wo ! used by carters to horses, is derived from the Norinan- 
French, and signifies, “ attend, stop, listen/' Gee ! is derived iron; 
the German verb gehen , u to go.” 
