ON TI1E WILLINGNESS OF HORSES FOR WORK. 
spur a sluggish horse to increase his pace, it is company, and 
returning to his manger: it is the former of these excitants that 
might induce an animal of this description to exert himself to a 
degree in the field which could not be exacted from him on the 
road when travelling alone. The fact, however, is seen in a 
much more remarkable degree in the roadster, or chaise horse; 
and in order to exemplify this, I cannot do better than relate the 
two following cases :— 
I was consulted some time ago by a Mr. C. of this town, 
respecting a bay horse, which he had lately purchased of- 
Esq. of the New Forest. “ He could not conceive,” he said, “the 
reason, but his horse was almost useless to him, for he could not 
get more than six miles an hour out of him in single harness.” 
Mild and harsh treatment were had recourse to. He was most 
liberally supplied with corn, which he speedily devoured, for his 
appetite never failed him; and sometimes he did not move out of 
his box for three or four clays together; but all in vain : so that 
the owner began to suspect that there must be something the 
matter with him. I examined the brute: the subject was a 
short-legged, well-formed bay gelding, not quite three parts bred, 
eight years old, fifteen hands high, and sound in bodily health, 
with a thick pendulous lip, and a small sleepy eye. He had 
something the matter with him, but the defect was not in his 
muscular strength, but in his brain and nervous system . I now 
beg to contrast this with a case the very reverse. Miss B. of 
this town, has a little brown pony, twelve hands high, and 
twelve years old, and remarkably delicately formed. I have 
known him nearly two years, during which time he has repeatedly 
bolted, and would have continued his pranks up to this time, 
had not a proper bit been employed. This so alarmed the fair pro¬ 
prietress, that in order to subdue his courage, his propensity for 
going, the little animal was worked every day to a very consi¬ 
derable degree, and its corn reduced to the daily allowance of 
one feed. Still its desire for going was the same. By this kind 
of discipline it may be readily anticipated that the pony rapidly 
lost flesh, and began to look miserable. I was asked my opi¬ 
nion : I told her he was over-worked, and had not sufficient 
corn. “How can that be ?” exclaimed Miss B. “he pulls just as 
hard!” I begged of her to bear in mind that it was not the 
actual bodily strength of her pet that enabled it to perform such 
feats, but that it depended on its natural irritability of con¬ 
stitution. 
To conclude, so important is this point in horses, that I would 
much rather have a plain horse with this willingness for labour, 
than a beautifully formed horse without it* But it may be asked 
