ON HORSES.
To define a perfect Horse is almost, and to find one, quite impossible.—Camerarius says, that this useful and beautiful creature is an assemblage of Excellencies—“He should possess Two of the Beauties of a Woman; the Breast must be plump, and the Hips round.—In three things he should resemble a Lion; in ferocity of countenance, in fortitude, and irresistible impetuosity. He must have three things appertaining to a Sheep;—the nose, gentleness, and patience;—three of a Mule, strength, perseverance, and sureness of foot;—three of a Deer, head, legs, and skin;—three of a Wolf, throat, neck, and ears;—two of a Fox, tail and trot;—three of a Serpent, memory, sight, and flexibility;—and lastly, three of a Hare, running, walking, and perseverance.
“Round hoofed, short jointed, Fetlock shag and long.
“Broad Breast, full Eyes, small Head, and Nostrils wide.
“High Crest, short Ears, strait Legs, and passing Strong.
“Thin Mane, thick Tail, broad Buttocks, tender Hide.”—Shakespeare’s Horse of Adonis.
No man who has witnessed the performance of Mr. Ducrow’s stud in “the Battle of Waterloo” at Astley’s, will deny, that our Poet Pope’s epithet of “half-reasoning” is not quite as justly due to the sagacity of the Horse, as it is to the Elephant.
It would be Injustice not to add, that the energetic and natural acting of Mr. Gomersal in his personation of “Buonaparte,” is as perfect a performance as the English stage can exhibit.
The whole of this Drama is a very extraordinary effort, and does great credit to the ingenious author of it, Mr. J. Amherst.
The figure and symmetry of the Horse is no where more perfectly displayed, than in the Equestrian Statue of Charles the First, at Charing Cross, which is said to be the most finished piece of workmanship of its kind ever produced: that of Marcus Aurelius, or the two Horses on the Monte Cavallo, or Quirino at Rome, not excepted.
Continually, however, in our sight, this “Chef d’Œuvre” is not only disregarded, but neglected.
English Horses, are equally remarkable for their Strength and for their Speed.
“Each seeming want compensated of course,—
Here with degrees of Swiftness, there of Force.”
Pack Horses in Yorkshire carry, not unusually, loads of 420 Pounds.
A London Dray Horse has been known to move, on a plane surface for a short space, the weight of Three Tons, and to draw half that weight a considerable distance.
On the Turnpike road, one Ton per horse is the Weight usually allowed for a Journey.
The famous Childers moved 82½ Feet in one second of time, which is nearly at the rate of a Mile in a Minute; for he ran round a course at Newmarket (little less than four miles) in six minutes and forty seconds; a degree of Velocity, which no horse has been known to exceed.
Another account avers that he ran over another course at Newmarket (which is 380 yards more than Four English Miles) in 7½ Minutes.
In general, the Racers run round the Four Mile course in about seven minutes and forty seconds, or eight minutes, which gives Forty-four feet six inches in one second of time, and twenty-four English feet at each stretch.
The late Duke of Queensberry, on the 29th of August, 1750, won his wager, that he would produce a machine, with four wheels, which should pass over 19 miles in six minutes. The Carriage was made by Wright, of Long Acre, and was constructed partly of Wood and partly of Whalebone; and for the Harness, Silk was substituted for Leather.
The match was run at Newmarket, and four blood Horses rushing on with a velocity almost rivalling the progress of sound, darted within the appointed time to the Goal.—See an Engraving and particular Account of this Carriage in the Gents. Mag. for 1756, p. 440.
It would be happy if a Law were passed to prevent the furious spirit of Gaming which prevails at Horse Races:—this amusement might also be rendered useful, which it is not at present, for Horses of most Speed, are generally of least Use.
If Premiums were allotted to those who brought to the field the strongest and most beautiful Horses of the best paces for the Saddle, Coach, or Cart, the Breed of these useful Animals might be really improved.
As managed at present, Horse Racing is but one remove from the barbarous practice of “Bear-baiting,” and “Bull-baiting,” against which that excellent practical philosopher, Montaigne, has protested his honest Indignation, that “Few people are pleased to see Beasts caress, or play together; but many seem delighted to see them lacerate and worry one another.”
HINTS
TO
PURCHASERS OF HORSES.
To decide by the first appearance of a Horse, as to what he may prove on continual Exercise, is a perfection of Judgment which not even Experience itself can confer. Those erudite Equestrians, Will Whipcord and Sam Spur, candidly assured us, that
HORSES WHICH ARE FOR SALE
are usually so pampered and highly fed, and have the interstices of their Muscles so filled with Fat, that their real shape, i. e. their form when in full Exercise, and with their ordinary Food, cannot be imagined.
If Dealers meet with a Horse that is unable to stand to the work they require of him, they let his Business be so light, that it may be merely Play to him—and so keep him in Condition till they can dispose of him.
Appearances are so deceitful, that the above-named skilful Jockeys confessed to me that they frequently found themselves mistaken. In the selection of a Horse, we rarely seek for latent good qualities, when the Eye is disgusted by deformity. A Horse of true proportions strikes the fancy of every beholder; we immediately assent to the beauty of the object, and take it for granted that Symmetry must be accompanied with either Strength or Swiftness. True Judgment is displayed in selecting a Horse possessing great powers, under the cover of an ill-favoured outward appearance, and discriminating from among those of a pleasing form such as are devoid of them.
Many who have written on Horses have attributed much to the influence of Colour on the Constitutions of Horses; but we fancy that Colour is often suffered to bias the decision on a Horse’s Goodness, when it should be considered merely as it relates to his Beauty. Many will not buy a Horse which has a White Leg; but White Legs are as likely to fly as Black Legs.
Mr. Mennill, of Leicestershire’s, famous hunter, “Whitestockings,” had four White Legs; and a better hunter never leaped a Gate. Childers had White Legs.
A Horse of symmetry and good action should not be undervalued from any peculiarity of Colour. Good Judges of Horses are very indifferent to the irregularity of Marks, &c. Thus much, however, is certain, that some colours denote Strength and Hardiness more than others, and are also more Beautiful; as the Dappled Grey,—Bays, particularly the Dappled, Golden, and Blood Bays, with the Legs, muzzle, tails, and list down the back black, Nutmeg Greys, Dark Duns, with mane, muzzle, tail, and legs, Black.
A mealy Bay and light Chesnut, or what is commonly called Sorrel, are for the most part delicate in Constitution. The latter is also often of a hot and choleric disposition.
As the Proverb says,
“A Good Horse cannot be of a Bad Colour.”
Few things are more difficult to find than Horses that are exactly what you wish.
“It is a cruel thing to say, but a very true one, that amongst the present breed of Horses in this nation, a man of any tolerable judgment can hardly find One in Fifty for his purpose, whether designed to Draw or Ride.”—Wm. Osmer on Horses, 8vo. p. 59.
Many of the Defects of Horses cannot be discovered till they have been in your possession some days. As that experienced Equestrian, Mr. Geoffrey Gambado, said, some Horsedealers, like some other Merchants, are “not a bit honester than they ought to be.”
Mr. Hanway observes, that “If the Gentleman[24] seldom treats his Friend, (and hardly ever an indifferent person,) with strict honour in selling a Horse!—what are we to expect of those who have been bred among Horses?”—Hanway’s Travels, 8vo. 1757, vol. i. p. 206.
The only safe, and indeed the only satisfactory plan, both to the Seller and to the Buyer of a Horse, is to
“Try,
Before you Buy,”
as Capt. Bindon cautions you, “Don’t fall in Love with him before you Ride him.” In his Gentleman’s Pocket Farrier, printed at Edinburgh in 1731, of which most of the works with a similar title are incorrect copies, with merely another name to them.
Deal with a respectable Man, to whom you have been well recommended, and stipulate, that if after a Trial for a day or two, you do not like your purchase, that upon paying a certain Sum you may return it. This sort of Agreement will not always be acceded to, unless you are known to the Dealer, and are a constant Customer.
If you have a Pair of Horses on trial, the usual charge for them, you finding provender, is about Two Guineas per Week:—Try them by driving them two or three times seven or eight Miles into the Country, where there is a good Hill to go up, such as Highgate or Hampstead Hill, you will soon find out what kind of Temper they are of:—if they have any lameness, or defects, &c.—and if they work equally, and step well together, which is extremely important;—if they are not of equal Courage and equal Pace, your Coachman will be obliged to be continually whipping one of them, in order to keep him to his Collar; and he cannot flog the Idle horse without hurting the feelings of his Industrious companion, and also those of the Persons he is driving, who, if they have any humanity, will not bear to see the willing suffer for the sluggishness of the Lazy. Moreover, every time the Whip is used the Horses spring forward, and the Carriage goes in a Hop, Step, and a Jump kind of style, which is extremely disagreeable.
Sluggish Horses are good for Nought, but to drag a Cart. Your own Arms will be almost as soon tired in making them move their Legs, as if you had travelled as far on your own Feet.
The following paragraphs are from “The New Method of Managing Horses, by the Thrice Noble, High and Puissant William Cavendishe, Duke, Marquess, and Earl of Newcastle,” fol. 1667:—
“Be not afraid of a Horse who shews Strength, Spirit, and Stomach: a Horse having them cannot choose but be made a Ready Horse, if he be under the Discipline of an Understanding Hand and Knowing Heels.
“When a Horse doth not Rebel it shews Weakness and faintness of Spirit, and no Courage. Where Nature is much Wanting, it is hard for Art to supply it.”—P. 199.
“Trying is the only way to know Horses.”
“I told you that Marks, Colours, and Elements, are nothing at all to know a Horse by; they are but Philosophical Mountebanks that talk of such Toyes. Nay, Shape is nothing to know the Goodness of a Horse—the best Philosophy is to Try him; and you may be deceived then, if he be a Young Horse;—Colts alter extremely both in Spirits and Strength. What Judgment can one give of a Little Boy, what Kind of Man he will prove? No more can one give a Judgment of a Colt, what Kind of Horse he will prove. Ride him and Try him; that is the best Philosophy to know him by.”—P. 104.
“A Young Horse of Three Years Old is but a Gristle,” saith his Grace of Newcastle, in p. 202 of his Book.
“For any Man that would have a Horse of Use in his ordinary occasions, or for Journeys, or Hunting, I would never buy a Horse till the Mark be out of his Mouth, i. e. till he be Seven years old; and if he be sound Wind, Limb, and Sight, he will then last you Eight or Nine Years.
“A Young Horse will have as many Diseases as a Young Child, and you will have to leave him with your Host at some Inn, and hire another Horse for your Occasion; and have your Host’s Bill, and the Farrier’s, which will come to more than your Horse is Worth; and there’s your Young Horse; but your hearty Old Horse shall never Fail you.”
There is more Trouble in looking after One Young Horse than in taking care of Two old ones.
Let the Horse you select for trial be stripped—let your own Servant (who being a stranger to him will not know how to humour defects or conceal any dispositions he may have to vice, &c.) walk and trot him in a strait line, on a paved piece of Road, such as is used for this purpose at the Veterinary College at Saint Pancras; while you stand alternately before and behind him; observe well if he has any inequality in his motions—see if he steps firmly on the ground—stop him often—put him on again—observe whether in setting off he has a partiality for either Leg, beyond that which seems to be natural to Horses in every part of the World, of taking off with the Left.
If a Horse is Lame with one Leg, it is sometimes disguised by putting in a Stone between the Shoe and the sole of the other foot, which is so judiciously contrived as to make him pick them both up alike.
The best way to discover Lameness is to have the horse rode so as to be heated; let him then be put into the stable till he get cool, when take him out for another trot, and examine again.
They sometimes bring Horses for trial, heated, by which many bad qualities and defects are concealed; dull Horses are animated, while the vicious pass as mere mettlesome; with many other disadvantages to the Purchasers, endless to mention. The best way is to get to the Dealer’s early in the Morning, before you are expected, and you will so find out more defects than any other way.
If the Horse be heated, let him be turned into the Stable till he gets cool; go up to him by yourself—examine him—observe his general manners, and, above all, to judge of his Temper watch his Eye:—a Horse never plays a vicious trick, or thinks of one, without shewing his intention to do so by his Eye;—study the Eye of a Horse during the usual operations of the Stable, and you will be enabled to form some opinion of his Temper and Disposition.
The following account was given to me by a friend who has had great experience in Horses:
“There can be no doubt that a vicious Horse is to be known by his Eye:—I took a Horse to Mr. Professor Colman, at the Veterinary College, St. Pancras, to be examined previous to purchasing;—he had on a water-deck, the Day being Wet; the wind caused it to flap against his sides, and he reared and plunged most violently. Mr. Colman, whose Judgment respecting Horses I had previously repeatedly consulted with the greatest advantage, after looking at him for a few minutes, decidedly pronounced him to be a Vicious Horse. I begged Mr. C. to tell me whether he judged so from his plunging occasioned by what is mentioned: he said No, from his Eye; he was constantly trying to look back:—however, I bought the Horse; and sure enough the Professor’s prognostic was perfectly true—he was decidedly vicious! the very next day he attempted a grand go at kicking and plunging, and did great damage to my Carriage.”
For the following Advice, we are indebted to as Honest a Man as any that deals in Horse-Flesh.
“I have found many persons who have purchased Horses of me, very inquisitive and troublesome about their Eyes; indeed, as much so as if their Eyes were any way concerned in the action of the Animal. As I know they are not, I give myself very little trouble about them:—if a Rider is in full possession of his own, what his Horse has is perfectly immaterial.
“Be sure to buy a Broken-knee’d Horse, whenever he falls in your way: the best bit of flesh that ever was crossed will certainly come down one day or another; whereas, one that has fallen, (and sacrificed himself pretty much,) never will fall again, if he can help it.
“Buy any thing but a Threatener. By the Threatener, Man himself, the Lord of the Creation, who subdues all the Animals that range the Forest, is himself kept in fear and trepidation!—This ingenious Animal has the sagacity, at every step, to threaten the fracture of his Rider’s neck, probably with a view to abolish the practice of Riding; but has, at the same time, the good sense not to fall quite down, lest he should accidentally break his own. As amongst Pigeons, so amongst Horses, there are Tumblers: the feat is, however, performed differently, and varies a little in its effects on the performers: the Pigeon executes it without any thing on its back; the Horse seldom achieves it without somebody upon his. To the latter, therefore, we must give the greatest share of merit, who ventures to perform upon a hard Road what the other does only in the Air, without even a cloud to brush against. The one seeming to prefer the Milky, and the other the Highway.”—See the Duke of Newcastle on Horses; Lord Pembroke on Breaking Horses, &c. 12mo. 1761; Mr. Berenger’s Art of Horsemanship; and Dr. Bracken and Mr. Gibson’s Books.
See a Comprehensive Abstract of the various Acts of Parliament relative to “Stealing Horses,” “Buying Stolen Horses,” “Killing or Maiming Horses,” &c. in p. 1046 of the Second Volume of Sir George Chetwynd’s comprehensive Edition of Dr. Burn’s Justice, 8vo. 1825.
TO PRESERVE
THE
HEALTH OF HORSES.
The methods of treating and keeping Horses are as various, and, for the generality, as inconsistent with reason as those of Shoeing are; but a little consideration would, in most common cases, direct people right in both. One pampers his Cattle, with a view of strengthening them; and afterwards, by way of correction, pours down Drugs into them without thought or measure:—Another lets no Air at all into his Stable; and his Horses inevitably catch cold when they stir out of it, and get Fevers if they stay in it, by corrupted Air:—a Third, equally wise, leaves his Stable open, and his Cattle exposed to the wind and weather at all times, whether his horses or the weather be hot or cold, and frequently even in wind drafts, while they are in a sweat.
All these practices are alike attended with destruction to Horses; as also are the many extravagances that prevail in the same contradictory extremes, with regard to Coverings. But in answer to all these foolish systems, reason plainly suggests to us, that proper wholesome Food, a well tempered circulation of sweet Air, moderate and constant Exercise, with due care and suitable clothing, as weather and occasions may require, will never fail to preserve Horses sound and in health.
No Vulgar Error is more common, than that Horses cannot continue well, unless they are periodically Bled, Purged, and crammed with Cordial Balls, &c.
After a very Hard day’s Work, give him a couple of Gallons of Gruel, made by putting a Quart of Oatmeal into a pail, stir it together with a little cold water, then add the proper quantity of boiling water, half a Gallon of good Strong Ale, and two Wine-glasses of Brandy: this the old Fox-hunter will tell you is better than all the Cordial Balls that were ever composed. In cases of Emergency, when a Horse is distressed, a Quart of Mulled Beer; or, in an extreme Case, a Bottle of Wine, will refresh him like a charm.
The following is Squire Tallyho’s advice respecting Physic:—
The Day after a hard Run, on inquiring how his Horses were, his Groom replied, “They are pretty well; but I think, Sir, that a little Physic would do them good.”—“Why,” said the Squire, “would you give them Physic? Do they Eat well, and Drink Well, and Sleep well?”—“Yes, Sir.”—“Well then, what good do you expect to do by giving them Physic? You don’t take Physic yourself when you are Well, do you, Tom?”—“No, Sir.”—“Then why give it to a Horse?”
To prevent Diseases and preserve the Health of Horses, there is seldom occasion for Bleeding, Purging, or any other Physicking, &c., if a proper attention be paid to procure them,
1st. Sufficiently spacious and well-aired Stables: at the bottom of each Stall there should be, rather beyond the centre, a Grating, so that the Stable may always be dry; the Litter will last longer, and the Stable be sweet and wholesome.
“In Russia, and other Northern Countries, Horses lie on boards without inconvenience, from which it would appear a great saving might be made if our own stalls were provided with frames for Horses to lie on without a litter. They may be constructed in the following manner:—Suppose the stall to be 6 feet wide and 9 feet long, then eight deal boards eight inches wide, nailed one inch apart to three or more ledges about two or three inches deep should be prepared for each stall. The Horse will lie dry, what falls must be swept off, and the frame turned up by day. Thus all the litter will be saved, and the straw, reed, or fern, be given for food. The frame will, probably, not cost more than the straw used for litter in a season. The boards will be very little injured, and may afterwards be applied to common purposes.
“Henry Penneck, M.D. A.L.S.
“Penzance, July 30, 1826.”
(From the Dublin Courier.)
Cleanliness in a Stable is extremely important: let the Mangers be well washed once a Week, and wipe down the Stalls, and whitewash it once a year.
Let the Horse Cloths be scoured at the same time—it preserves the Cloths, and prevents the Moths getting into them.
When it is considered that Saddle or Coach-horses, on an average, pass at least 20 out of every 24 hours, or full five-sixths of their time in the Stable: the importance of keeping that as clean as possible, is evident enough without further Argument. The Stalls should not be less than six feet in the clear width.
2d. Allow them plenty of wholesome Food and Drink, in proportion to the Work required of them, due Exercise when they are not at Work, and good Rubbing and Dressing twice or thrice every day—“It is regular Feeding and Dressing which maketh Horses fat and Healthy, not the mere great abundance and rest alone which maketh plump. A man need not much trouble himself to inquire after Physic for this purpose: upon my word, there is no other Secret to perform this, but to observe a methodical manner of Feeding and Dressing.”—Sollysell’s Compleat Horseman, fol. page 138. 1717.
The last thing at Night, give to those Horses that are very Lean, about a couple of Quarts of Wetted Bran, over and above their ordinary allowance of Oats, &c.—a double handful of Cinquefoil, cut into Chaff, is given by an experienced Stable-man, who was consulted in forming this work.
In Exercising Horses, the farther they are carried from home the better; i. e. take them four or five miles out and back, and never go twice one road if you can avoid it: a Horse will perform his work more cheerfully, and it breaks his temper to go different roads.
Have them out by Six in the Morning, and give them two hours’ Exercise; walk them till you get to a nice bit of even ground, and then give them a good trot or a Canter for a quarter of an hour, but never gallop them hard.
Never gallop Horses that you are training for Hunting—their Master can always take enough out of their Legs when they are in the Field.
Never let a Horse be hard ridden when he has just had his belly-full of meat or water; but let him move in his own way: he will mend his pace by degrees.