KINDNESS TO HORSES.
A great deal has been said and written about bad-tempered horses, but
hardly enough anent the riders who make them sulky or irritable.
Jorrocks' remark that "the less a man knows about an 'oss, the more he
expects" is perfectly true; for such persons seem to regard horses as
machines, and are ever ready to slash them with the whip across the
head, or any other part on which they think they can inflict most pain,
and then when animals resent such cruelty, they dub them bad-tempered
brutes! There are people belonging to the show-off brigade, who punish
horses without the slightest provocation, in order to attract general
attention to their fine (?) horsemanship. Their method is first to job
the animal in the mouth, and when he exhibits the resulting signs of
irritated surprise, to "lamb" him well. Another kind of horse-spoiler is
the man who, having been angered by some person, vents his pent-up rage
on his unfortunate mount. Far be it from me to call down the wrath of
the lords of creation on my thin head by denouncing them all as cruel
monsters, but my experience is that, in the majority of cases, horses
are rendered vicious by brutal treatment on the part of men. A horse,
like a dog, has a keen sense of justice; he never forgets unmerited
punishment, but is in a constant state of nervous anxiety when ridden by
a man who treats him unkindly. A dog exhibits a similar feeling of
distrust of a cruel master by crouching up to him when called, instead
of being delighted to see him, and according him a frisky welcome. I
will give an instance of what I once saw a bad-tempered man do with a
bird in India. The animal was a small green parrot which the man had
taught to perform a certain trick; but I don't know what it was, because
the parrot did not execute it when asked to do so. The owner of the bird
was a very mild private individual, who I thought was fond of animals,
and who asked me to see the effect of his training on this parrot. He
tried to get the little thing to perform, but as it would not, for some
cause best known to itself, he actually wrung its neck in my presence! I
shall never forget that incident, because it gave me one of the greatest
shocks I have ever experienced. This was, of course, an exceptional case
of temper, which I mention only to show to what extremities a violent
burst of rage may carry a sane individual. We often hear of an
uncontrollable temper, but I believe that every man can, if he likes,
govern his rage, unless, of course, he is demented. If the vast
majority of so-called vicious horses could write the story of their
lives, what terrible tales of suffering and injustice they would relate!
A horse, unlike a dog, bears punishment in silence, and any brutal
creature may with impunity torture a horse, but if he tried to hurt a
dog in like degree, the yelping of the animal would alarm the entire
neighbourhood, and be almost certain to call forth a strong remonstrance
from some lover of animals whose sympathy had been excited by hearing
such piteous cries. People who are unacquainted with the inner life of
stables, have no idea of the brutality which many grooms and strappers
inflict on the animals in their charge. When we find a horse which is
difficult to bridle, owing to the objection he has to allowing his
muzzle or ears to be approached by the hand of man, we may be almost
certain that this vice has been caused by the application of a twitch,
either on his upper lip, or on one of his ears, a method of restraint
which should never be employed. By laying down the law on this point of
horse control, I in no way pose as an authority, but rely on what my
husband, who is a veterinary surgeon, thinks on this matter. He tells me
that during the two trips which he made in 1901 to South Africa in
veterinary charge of remounts, he examined the mouths of over seven
hundred horses and found that more than ten per cent. of them had been
permanently injured, especially on the tongue, by the inhuman
application of twitches. No one, veterinary surgeon or layman, is
justified in using a twitch that will make the animal subsequently
difficult to handle. If any of my readers wish to know how a twitch can
be applied without this drawback, they should consult my husband's book,
_Illustrated Horse Breaking_. Of all horses, a good hunter which passes
into the hands of an incompetent master, is most to be pitied. The
wretched condition of many hunters is truly pitiable. Their skins,
instead of showing the glow of health, present a dried-up,
kippered-herring appearance, and some of the poor things have the
miserable half-starved look of Berlin cab horses, chiefly because they
live as a rule in a constant state of thirst, owing to the objection
their grooms have of allowing them a sufficiency of water to drink. Such
parched animals will quickly tell their mistress this secret, by loudly
neighing, if, when she goes near their boxes or stalls, she takes up and
rattles a stable bucket. This thirst torture is abominable cruelty.
In this country, grooms, as a rule, are given a free hand in the feeding
and management of horses, with frequently disastrous results, owing to
the consequent system of commissions and tips from horse dealers, corn
dealers, saddlers and shoeing smiths. In India and the Colonies,
horse-owners usually take a practical interest in the welfare of their
equine servants, which are therefore properly fed, and have a plentiful
supply of fresh water to drink. Almost all hunting grooms keep horses in
loose boxes tied up during the day, in order to prevent them lying
down, soiling themselves and disarranging the bedding, which would, of
course, entail trouble on the stable attendants. To such men, the good
effect of liberty on legs and health is, of course, a negligible
quantity. It is evident that the benefit of a loose box is nullified, if
the animal in it is tied up. When we visit horses in their stable and
find that they exhibit terror at our approach, we may conclude that
their fear is due to bad management, because no horse which has been
kindly treated, will show the slightest fear on being approached. A
class of groom whom I would not care to keep, is the funky man who is
continually yelling at his animals, and thus unfits them to obey our
words of command when we ride them. Every horse-owner, even from a
purely humane point of view, should spare a few minutes at night before
turning in, to see that the animals have got plenty of hay and are not
parched with thirst. I would strongly plead for our dumb friends in this
matter, because, on more than one occasion, I have found my horses shut
up for the night without "bite or sup," and by the welcome they always
gave me, I know they were most grateful to me for my nightly visits, not
only in neighing on hearing me speak, but also in dutifully obeying my
voice when I rode them. If a horse, like a dog, gets to know that his
mistress is his kindest friend, he will do his best to please her, and
will remain steady at her command even under very great provocation to
"play up." Here again Jorrocks' advice to know your horse comes in, for
our stable friendship with our animals establishes a bond of unity which
they will always remember and appreciate. Horses are very sporting
animals, and the love of competition is inherent in them all, from the
hack to the steeplechaser. When it is a question of a gallop, an old nag
will put his best foot foremost and try to outdistance his companion,
even though his chances of so doing may be extremely small. In hunting
and racing we see horses gamely struggling on, often under severe
punishment. To my mind, half the pleasure of witnessing equine
competitions of speed and staying power is lost by the brutality of
jockeys who, possibly from rage and disappointment at losing a race,
often unmercifully punish their animals with whip and spurs, even when
the first three horses have passed the winning post.
One of the most fruitful causes of bad mouths is the practice which many
servants adopt of jerking the reins, when a horse which they are holding
becomes restless, even when the inquietude consists merely in looking at
passing objects. Men who adopt this barbarous method of control, never
accompany the action of their hand with the voice, and, consequently,
the unfortunate animal does not know why he is punished. He naturally
connects any pressure of the mouth-piece on the bars of his mouth with
the idea of pain, from which he tries to escape by throwing up his head.
Hence, instead of going freely up to his bit, and thus putting himself
in touch with his rider, he will fight against it and will be
unpleasant, if not dangerous, to ride.
There have been many funny books written about horsemanship! In a very
incompetent book on this subject, the author states: "In riding, if a
horse does not nag himself properly, take short hold of the reins with
your left hand, lean back in the saddle, with a light whip or stick give
him three or four strokes right and left down his shoulders, at the same
time holding the reins tight so that he does not go from under you; he
will soon alter his pace. That requires practice, with nerve and
judgment." I think that a person who would be guilty of such a display
of "nerve and judgment" deserves similar punishment with the whip. It is
in the hands of such men that horses earn the reputation of being
bad-tempered. This writer also tells us "not to give water before
feeding, as it weakens the saliva in a horse's mouth!" Whyte Melville
owed his success in horse management to the adoption of kind and humane
methods. All those who have broken and ridden young horses know how
thoroughly sound is his advice:--"From the day you slip a halter over
his ears he should be encouraged to look to you, like a child, for all
his little wants and simple pleasures. He should come cantering up from
the farthest corner in the paddock when he hears your voice, should ask
to have his nose rubbed, his head stroked, his neck patted, with those
honest pleading looks which will make the confidence of a dumb creature
so touching; and before a roller has been put on his back, or a snaffle
in his mouth, he should be convinced that everything you do to him is
right, and that it is impossible for _you_, his best friend, to cause
him the least uneasiness or harm.
"I once owned a mare that would push her nose into my pockets in search
of bread and sugar, would lick my face and hands like a dog, or suffer
me to cling to any part of her limbs and body while she stood perfectly
motionless. On one occasion, when I hung up in the stirrup after a fall,
she never stirred on rising, till by a succession of laborious and
ludicrous efforts I could swing myself back into the saddle, with my
foot still fast, though hounds were running hard, and she loved hunting
dearly in her heart. As a friend remarked at the time, 'The little mare
seems very fond of you, or there might have been a bother'! Now this
affection was but the result of petting, sugar, kind and encouraging
words, particularly at her fences, and a rigid abstinence from abuse of
the bridle and the spur."
Many animal lovers, especially those who have had no personal experience
in studying the peculiarities of our dumb servants, consider that all
horses behave well if kindly treated. This belief has a certain
foundation in fact, in the case of amiable animals which appreciate good
usage. There are, however, many horses, especially among the half-bred
hackney class of riding animal, possessed of bitter obstinacy which no
amount of kindness on our part can subdue. Some of these animals allow
us to get on their backs and carry us quietly, so long as we permit them
to proceed at their desired pace; but as soon as we attempt to assert
ourselves in this matter, they display their sullen tempers in various
ways, either by plunging, pulling, or setting up other defences against
our authority. If we insist on our orders being obeyed, they show fight,
or more usually a sullen nagging resistance that continues the whole
time we remain on their backs, and they carry out the same programme
every time we ride them. With such nasty tempered brutes, breaking is of
no avail, for they are quiet as long as we allow them to set the pace
and carry us as they like. A breaker who is a good horseman and
possessed of extreme tact and patience, which of course is necessary,
may continue the fight longer than an ordinary rider cares to do, but he
can produce no permanent result, for he is unable to give the animal a
new heart. Therefore, when we consider the important question of manners
in a horse, we should first learn all we can about the disposition and
temper of the animal both in and out of the stable. Given a sound
foundation to work upon, that is to say, a placid generous tempered
horse, we may confidently set to work in polishing up his manners as may
be required, but with the sullen brutes I have described, it is a
useless task. We find much the same thing in some human beings. George
Moore, in his novel, _Esther Waters_, graphically depicts the sullen
obstinacy of a low class of person who will "neither lead nor drive." I
think that this dogged obstinacy of temper is rarely met with among
thoroughbred, or even well-bred horses, for I have found it to exist in
its worst form only among half-breds, and especially among those which
have hackney blood in their veins. As a rule, a bad-tempered
thoroughbred does not sulk, he fights openly, says his say, like an
irritated master or mistress, and, having relieved his mind, lets the
matter drop, and does not nurture it up for future use, like the
servants in the kitchen. My advice to any lady who is trying to win the
regard of a sullen brute of this class, would be to give up the task as
hopeless, get rid of him, and expend her kindness on an animal more
worthy of it. No horse that will not "chum" with you, by ready obedience
without asserting himself at every step he takes, is worth his keep, and
it is no pleasure to either man or woman to ride such animals, however
excellent both the rider's temper and horsemanship may be.
I would recommend any lady who is about to purchase a horse, to do her
best to find out, not only if the animal is quiet, but if his former
owner was also amiable, and on no account to buy a horse which has been
spoiled by a bad-tempered man, or woman, supposing that any of my sex is
sour-tempered, which I very much doubt, unless, of course, she had been
spoiled by a vicious male! We should bear in mind that absolute
perfection, either among humans or equines, is unattainable, and, as
Jorrocks points out: "If his 'oss is not so good as he might be, let him
cherish the reflection that he might have been far worse!"
I think that the native syces of India, like the Russian _ishvoshik_
(cabman), treat their equine charges with far greater sympathy and
kindness than our English grooms and cab-drivers do. In India we ride
stallions; my grey Arab, Fig. 7, was an entire, and was so kind and
gentle that he was always most careful not to tread on his syce who
slept in his box with him, rolled up in a corner, like a bundle of old
clothes. When Gowlasher, which was the man's name, groomed him, the pony
would playfully catch his arm between his teeth and make a pretence of
biting it, but he never allowed his teeth to hurt the skin. Gowlasher
liked to show me the funny little tricks of this animal; but if Freddie
had attempted to touch the arm of an English groom, he would have been
promptly struck across the muzzle, because his playfulness would have
been misunderstood.
It is not the custom in this country to hunt or hack stallions, which
are often led out for exercise with two men hanging on to their heads,
both armed with stout sticks. Magic, a grey Arab entire, which we
brought home from India and sold to Colonel Walker, of Gateacre, who won
several pony races with him, carried me quietly in the Row, and his new
owner found him a very clever polo pony. When passing through London on
my return from a visit to Russia, we put up at an hotel in Oxford
Street, where the night was rendered hideous to me by the brutal
slashing of cab horses; for one hears nothing of that kind in Russia,
and yet we English people pride ourselves on being a horse-loving
nation! The speed of Orlov trotters is very great, but no whip is used
in driving them; the coachmen drive with a rein in each hand, like the
drivers of American trotters, and shout after the manner of firemen to
clear the road, for these animals seem to require a good deal of
holding. The Russian cabby uses a small whip like an ordinary dog-whip,
which he tucks away somewhere under his seat, and when his horse is
taking things too easy, it is only necessary for him to show it him, for
he is driven without blinkers, to cause him to at once hasten his pace.
Very often the man is unprovided even with this toy thing, in which case
he obtains a similar result by abusing the animal's relations! During
the whole time that I was in Russia, I never once saw a cabby hurt his
horse with the whip. Russia is the last country to which one would go to
learn anything about the treatment of human beings, knowing what we do
of her past and present history; but we certainly should emulate the
Russian coachmen in their kindness to horses, and not shock our
neighbours by exhibitions of brutality which may be seen daily in the
London streets.