“The use of the horse's eye is important. He should see what is before him, and on each side of him, and the ground on which he treads. Objects on either side of him do not frighten him if he sees them. It is the sudden appearance of unaccustomed objects that frighten nervous horses. The blinders contribute to this, and so far from being a preventive are a provocative of fright. Give the horse the use of his eye, and let him see the object, and he is rarely or never frightened. A shying horse is a horse who does not see clearly. If blinders were necessary to prevent horses from being frightened, why not use them on saddle horses; and the fact that they are never so used, disposes of the whole argument in their favor.
“The horse needs his eyes to see the ground upon which he steps. We may not think so, but all animals are even more careful than men where they tread. A horse running over a human body will not step upon it if he has his eyes. But with the eyes half covered with blinders, he may do so, a consideration of no small importance in a crowded city.
“Has it ever occurred to ask ourselves what right we have to deprive horses of the use of their eyes. They minister to our convenience and pleasure, and we give them their food and care. Nay, we may even render them serviceable. But we have no right to deprive them of the light of day or the joy of beholding surrounding objects. To assume that they do not prize or care for it argues but slight acquaintance with their nature.
“Again, the non-use of an organ tends to destroy it. Fortunately the mass of our horses are not born of those whose eyes are habitually blinded, or we should, ere long, come to a race of no-eyed horses. But even now the blinding has not been without its curse. The eye of the horse is not so fine as that of the ox, the deer, or the gazelle, to say nothing of the increasing frequency of weak eyes—defective vision and blindness.
“And all this comes of heedlessness. We do it because we are accustomed to it. We don't think of the pleasure of which we are depriving our mute friends. We don't think how much better the horses would look with the use of their eyes, or of how much light the eye would add to the picture.
“The harness maker doesn't think of it. His business is to make as much of the harness as possible. To him 'there is nothing like leather.' The coachman doesn't think of it. So long as his position on the box is secure, he is satisfied.
“Occasionally a sensible man—and very often he's a poor man—is seen driving his horse or team without taking from them the use of their eyes—and how other horses or teams must envy those fortunate ones. But the great mass with huge blinders drawn tight over their eyes, blunder on in the dark, their drivers and owners utterly unconscious of the wrong they are doing or the misery they are unconsciously inflicting.