a HEAVIER, which operation is occasionally performed, that a supply may
not be wanting for the CHASE during the time of _rutting_; in which the
STAG is perpetually ranging from one HIND to another, for three weeks or
longer; not allowing himself the comforts of FOOD, SLEEP, or REST.
Towards the termination he becomes lean, languid, and dejected; when,
having executed the task prescribed by NATURE, he withdraws himself from
society, to seek repose and food. At this period he is so ill-adapted
for SPORT with the HOUNDS, that the operation of castrating was adopted
as an alternative to the temporary suspension of the ROYAL CHASE.
It is worthy of remark, that if a stag undergoes the operation when his
horns are SHED, they _never_ grow again; on the contrary, if it is
performed while the horns are in perfection, they will never exfoliate;
and it is equally remarkable, that being deprived of only _one_
testicle, the horn will not regenerate on _that_ side, but will continue
to grow, and annually shed on the _other_, where the single testicle has
not been taken away. HEAVIERS are of great strength, and stand a long
time before hounds; for which reason the hunting establishment of his
MAJESTY in WINDSOR FOREST is never without a regular succession.
HEAVY IN HAND.—A horse is said to be heavy in hand, when, from want of
spirit, he goes sluggishly on, bearing his whole weight upon the BIT; as
if the hand of the rider alone prevented his pitching upon his head; and
this to a good horseman is one of the most unpleasing _defects_ a HORSE
can possess. Horses of this description should be rode in a Weymouth
bridle, (see BIT,) and constantly made to feel the CURB rein; when at
the same moment, that useful monitor the _spur_ should be brought into
brisk and sudden contact with the body; a perseverance in which practice
will be found the only mode to remedy the inconvenience. See HAND.
HEELS.—The heels of a horse, critically speaking, imply only that part
of the hoof which is the very reverse of the toe; seated behind, and
forming the back of the foot, across the widest end of the frog,
extending from one point of the heel to the other. Custom has, however,
so far extended both the idea and the expression, that in the present
general acceptation of the word, it is admitted to include the feet as
high as the fetlock-joint; so that the heels are subject to accidents,
inconveniencies, defects, and blemishes, as CRACKS, SCRATCHES,
OVERREACHES, GREASE, &c. The heels of a horse, to be good, should be
high, (that is, of a proper length from the hair above to the ground
below,) firm, and substantial, open on each side the frog, and never
should be cut down _too low_ by the destructive instrument of the
SHOEING-SMITH; an error in both judgment and practice, to which may be
justly attributed the frequent failure in the back sinews; for where the
heels are unnaturally reduced, and the tendons in part deprived of their
support, they have evidently to encounter a preternatural distension, by
which the elasticity is partially destroyed, and some of the fibrous
coats consequently ruptured.
HEELS NARROW—is a defect, or inconvenience, to which HORSES are
constantly subject; but they are produced much more by the officious
obtrusions of ART, than any deficiency in the original formation of
NATURE. Horses with narrow heels are generally those who have had very
little attention paid to the state of the feet, by either MASTER or
_man_, during the operation of SHOEING; and where the journeyman smith
too often, from absolute idleness, affixes a shoe _too narrow_ to the
FOOT, and then, to increase the injury, reduces the FOOT to the
dimensions of the _shoe_.
This grievance is much easier prevented than remedied; for when once a
_destruction_ of _parts_ has been inconsiderately occasioned, a
REGENERATION may not be easily obtained. The cruel and invincible
practice of applying the _hot shoe_ to the FOOT (by way of fitting it)
during the act of shoeing, contributes in no small degree to the
contraction of the heel; and when this injury is once sustained, great
care and constant attention become necessary to solicit a renovation.
Whether it has been occasioned by the fatal operation of the
_cutting-knife_, the fashionable back-stroke friction of the _rasp_, or
the fiery effect of the _hot shoe_ when conveyed from the FORGE to the
FOOT, the direct road to relief is precisely the same: nightly stopping
with any applicable composition calculated to mollify the bottom of the
hoof, and to promote its expansion, with a plentiful impregnation of
sperma-cæti oil daily, are the only sure and certain means by which the
heels can be restored to their original and proper formation.
HEELER—is the person who affixes the deadly weapon called A SPUR (made
of either steel or silver) to the heel of a GAME COCK, when taken from
the pen previous to his being carried to the COCK-PIT to fight his
battle. A hard-hitting cock, who is perpetually fighting with effect,
and gives his adversary no time to stand still, or look about him, is
likewise called A HEELER.
HELPS, OR AIDS,—are terms appertaining solely to the MANEGE and
RIDING-SCHOOL, little known elsewhere, and totally unconnected with the
sports of the field. PROFESSORS technically describe _seven_ helps
necessary to complete the lesson given to a horse; as the VOICE, WHIP,
BIT, CALVES of the LEGS, the STIRRUPS, the SPUR, and the GROUND.
HEROD,—commonly called _King Herod_, was the first horse of his time as
A RACER, and afterwards as A STALLION. He was bred by the then DUKE of
CUMBERLAND, and got by _Tartar_ out of _Cypron_, who was got by _Blaze_;
he was foaled in 1758, and, after beating every horse that could be
brought against him at four, five, and six years old, he became a
stallion of the first celebrity, and transmitted a greater progeny to
posterity, than any other horse in the whole annals of sporting, unless
_Eclipse_ and _Highflyer_ (his son) are admitted upon the score of
equality.
HIDEBOUND—is an impoverished state of the frame and system to which
horses are frequently reduced, and partakes much more of neglect in food
and stable discipline, than of constitutional defect, or acquired
disease. A horse said to be HIDEBOUND has the appearance of being
emaciated; the coat is of a dingy variegated hue, staring different
ways, with a scurfy dust underneath; the skin is of an unpliable
rigidity, seeming to adhere closely to the internal parts, denoting a
deficiency of the fluids, an obstruction of the porous system, and a
languor in the circulation.
The whole, or any part of these, may originate in various causes; as a
short allowance of GOOD and healthy food, or a profusion of _bad_.
Nothing will produce it sooner than _hard_ work with _bad_ keep, and a
constant exposure to all weathers, in the severity of the winter season.
Musty oats, mouldy hay, and winter straw-yards, are generally the
harbingers of this appearance, which in all cases is very easily
removed: good stable discipline, in wisping and dressing, regular daily
exercise, a few mashes nightly of ground malt and bran, equal parts,
followed by a cordial ball every morning, or an antimonial alterative
powder nightly in the mash, will soon be found to answer every
expectation, and restore the subject to good condition.
HIGHFLYER—was the name of a late celebrated HORSE, that, taken "for all
in all," (as a RACER and a STALLION,) far exceeded any other ever known
in this kingdom. He was foaled in 1774; was got by _Herod_ out of
_Rachel_, who was got by _Blank_; her dam by _Regulus_, &c. He was
purchased of the breeder, when a colt rising two years old, by the late
LORD BOLINGBROKE, and was then thought to be getting too large and
unpromising for any capital performances upon the turf. It was, however,
observed by the training groom, that he displayed astonishing powers in
some of his first trials; and it was upon _his_ suggestion _Highflyer_
was immediately named in the most capital sweepstakes and subscriptions
then open; winning all which with the greatest ease, he was at the very
zenith of his celebrity as A RACER, when LORD BOLINGBROKE, disgusted
with the villainous deceptions and variegated vicissitudes of THE TURF,
as well as declining daily in his health, _Highflyer_ was purchased of
his Lordship by MR. TATTERSAL, who fixed him as a stallion at a farm of
his own near Ely, in Cambridgeshire, where his success soon stamped the
spot with the name of HIGHFLYER HALL, which it will most probably ever
retain. Here he covered for some years at THIRTY GUINEAS; and from the
almost incredible number of mares he was permitted to cover, it was
concluded he produced to his owner no less than from fifteen hundred to
two thousand pounds a year, for many years in succession. His progeny of
winners only exceeded THREE HUNDRED in number, who received, in
subscriptions, plates and sweepstakes, above a THOUSAND PRIZES. Amongst
the most celebrated of his get were _Escape_, (who once sold for 1500
guineas,) _Euphrosyne_, _Bashful_, _Maid of all Work_, _Plutitia_, _Sir
Pepper_, _Sir Peter Teazle_, _Skylark_, _Skyrocket_, _Skyscraper_,
_Spadille_, _Rockingham_, _Toby_, _Thalia_, _Walnut_, _Old Tat_,
_Vermin_, _Skypeeper_, _Grouse_, _Oberon_, _Screveton_, _Diamond_,
_Sparkler,_ _Guildford_, _Moorcock_, and _Stickler_: of whom several are
now stallions in the highest reputation at ten and fifteen guineas each.
HIND—is the female of the species called RED DEER, the male of which is
termed A STAG: the offspring of both is, during its first year, called A
CALF; and these only are the deer hunted by the KING'S STAG-HOUNDS.
HIP-SHOT.—The DEFECT so termed is an injury frequently sustained in the
HIP JOINT, but not always with the same degree of severity. It is a
ligamentary twist, or distortion, by which the _junction_ of the _bones_
is materially affected, but not amounting to absolute DISLOCATION;
although it may proceed from a variety of causes, in sudden shocks from
the different prominences of, or cavities _in_, an uneven and irregular
pavement; BLOWS, STRAINS, or WRENCHES, (in drawing heavy loads,) as well
as by SLIDING, or FALLING; yet there is little doubt but it occurs much
oftner from _carelessness_, _inattention_, and _brutality_, either by a
violent blow from the post of the stable door, in being hastily led in
or out, than by any other means whatever. Let what will be the cause, a
cure is seldom completely effected; for as the injury is not only
deeply, but critically seated, so if the horse, after any medical means
have been used, is turned out to obtain strength, a repetition of work
generally produces a relapse of the injury originally sustained.
HOCK, or HOUGH.—The joint of the leg _behind_, corresponding with the
knee _before_, is so called. Its office, in sustaining the principal
weight, and various turns of the body, renders it liable to injuries,
which, when they happen, are not unfrequently both severe and permanent.
BONE SPAVINS, BLOOD SPAVINS, and CURBS, are of this description.
HOLD—is a term of trifling import, yet, as it appertains to the
important act of propagation between the HORSE and the MARE, its
emphatic signification cannot be omitted. When a mare has taken the
horse, that is, when copulation is completed, a doubt generally arises,
whether the MARE will _hold_; that is, whether she sufficiently retains
the male semen to constitute CONCEPTION. The mare being brought to the
horse on the _ninth_ day, from the first time of covering, if she again
receives the horse, that alone is held a sufficient proof she _did not
hold_ before: she is, nevertheless, brought again to the horse at the
end of another nine days, and when she has refused _twice_ to take the
horse, she is then said to be STINTED, and no doubt entertained of her
being in FOAL.
HOOF.—The hoof of a horse is that hard and horny substance at the lower
extremity of the legs, coming into contact with the ground, and upon
which are placed shoes, made of iron, for the preservation of the feet.
The hoof, to be perfect and uniform, should nearly circumscribe five
eighths of a circle, with a transverse line from one point of the heel
to the other, as if a segment of three eighths was taken away; in
addition to which form, it should be solid in substance, smooth to the
hand, and free from the contracted rings, or wrinkles, similar to those
upon the horns of cattle, by which the age is ascertained.
HOOFS are very different in both property and appearance, and a great
deal of this depends upon the manner in which they are treated. The
well-known and well-founded adage, that "DOCTORS DIFFER," was never more
verified than in the subject before us; previous to the necessary
remarks upon which, it will be proper to point out the distinct or
opposite texture and property of such hoofs, before we advert to the
most applicable mode of treatment for each. The hoofs of some horses are
so naturally dry, and so defective in animal moisture, that they
gradually contract, become apparently compressed, and narrow at the
heel, as well as acquire a degree of _brittleness_ hardly to be
believed; in which state _splinters_ are frequently scaling off from the
EDGES of the HOOF, at many places where the nails are unavoidably
inserted to secure the position of the SHOE, for the preservation of the
FOOT.
These are the species of hoof much more susceptible of injury than any
other, particularly of SANDCRACKS; defects which, when they happen, very
much reduce the value of the horse if offered for sale; not more in
respect to the BLEMISH, than the perpetual apprehension and expectation
of his becoming irrecoverably LAME. Hoofs of this description should be
plentifully impregnated with sperma-cæti oil every night all round the
foot; and the bottom should be stopped with a composition of stiff
cow-dung, and the skimming of the pot in which fat meat has been boiled,
previously preserved, and well incorporated for that purpose. It has
been asserted by those who speculate, and propagate the report of
_fancy_ for FACT, that "unctuous or greasy applications are prejudicial
to the feet," of which indefinite, vague and imperfect expression, the
_weak_ and _wavering_ happily avail themselves, and boldly declare,
under sanction of the equivocal mutation in meaning, that every thing
_greasy_ is injurious to the HOOFS.
It is a degree of justice that so egregious an absurdity should be
exposed. Without descending to a minute and scientific analyzation of
the hoof in its animated state, to ascertain how far it is, or is not, a
POROUS substance, it becomes only necessary to demonstrate its
possessing the property of ABSORPTION from _external_ application. That
this may be the more clearly comprehended, let it be remembered, if a
single drop of SPERMA-CÆTI OIL is left upon a quire of white paper, it
will, by its penetrative property, pass through each leaf of the quire,
till every particle of its moisture is exhausted, where it terminates in
a space little larger than the point of a needle: from whence it is fair
to infer, this article, in a state of perfect liquefaction, will
insinuate itself into, or go through, any possible substance where a
liquid can be supposed to pass: this admitted, upon clear and
indisputable proof, it becomes necessary to proceed to its effect upon
the _dry_, _hard_, _contracted_, _brittle_ hoof of the HORSE.
If the foot is held up from the litter with the hand, and with the
stable-brush well impregnated with _oil_, so as to be left tolerably wet
upon the surface, persevering patience (by holding the foot from the
ground a few minutes) will prove, that the oil with which the hoof was
so plentifully basted, has nearly DISAPPEARED, although _no drop_ has
fallen to the ground. What will the _rigid_ disputant, or _cynical_
Sceptic, oppose to this fact, when asked what is become of the OIL so
recently laid on? From the fertile resources of "EXHALATION,"
"EVAPORATION," or even "_running off_," he can derive no assistance to
support him in the erroneous opinion he has formed; and perhaps an
obstinacy, from time and custom become habitual, will not permit him
(till his judgment is more matured by experience) to admit, that it is
lost to the eye, and taken up by ABSORPTION. This, however, is the fact,
and to the incredulous, who are open to conviction, and willing to make
the experiment, it will appear, that this treatment of the hoof, and the
STOPPING previously mentioned, (if nightly persevered in,) will, in
_less_ than THREE SHOEINGS, completely restore and improve the most
brittle and battered hoofs in the kingdom. So much cannot be said of
_unctuous_ or _greasy_ substances; for, from their confidence, not
possessing the property of penetration, they can add _none_ to the
EXPANSION of the HOOF; from the dry and preternaturally contracted state
of which the defect generally arises; and by the additional growth and
distension of the hoof alone can be relieved.
HOOF-BOUND.—See COMPRESSION and HEELS NARROW.
HORSE—is the name of the most beautiful, the most useful, and the most
valuable, animal, this or any other nation has to boast: the majestic
extent of his formation, the graceful ease of every motion, the
immensity of his strength, the smooth and glossy surface of his skin,
the pliability of his temper, and, above every other consideration, his
rapidity of action, and general utility, render him highly worthy the
care, attention, and pecuniary estimation he is now held in from one
extremity of the earth to the other. He is the most spirited and most
powerful of all creatures; yet the most generous, docile, grateful and
obedient to the purposes of man as an individual, as well as to all the
AGRICULTURAL and COMMERCIAL advantages of society at large. He may be
justly termed the great main-spring of PLEASURE to one class, and of
PROFIT to the other; without whose aid, the eternal routine of _both_
must come to immediate termination, constituting a CHAOS very far beyond
the most fertile imagination to conceive or describe.
The natural history, the form, and general utility, of the horse, is
become so perfectly familiar to every eye, that the less will be
required upon those points in explanation. The various pleasurable
purposes, and useful talks, to which horses are appropriated in this
country, has long since demonstrated the consistency of cultivating, by
select and judicious propagation, each particular kind of stock, so as
to render it individually applicable to the use for which it is
intended. The numbers _annually_ produced, and _annually_ destroyed,
within the circle of our own isle (even in time of peace) exceed common
conception, and of which no computation can be tolerably formed. The
long list constantly bred for, and engaged upon, the TURF; the SPORTS of
the FIELD; the national establishment of MILITARY CAVALRY; the carriage
horses of the opulent, rattling through every street of every city and
large town in the kingdom; the _thousands_ employed in AGRICULTURE, as
well as all the DRAFT work of the METROPOLIS; in addition to the
_infinity_ annexed to MAIL and STAGE COACHES, as well as to the POST
WORK, and those useful drudges denominated ROADSTERS, in the possession
of every class of people, constitute an aggregate that in contemplation
excites the utmost admiration.
The constantly increasing OPULENCE, or the constantly increasing LUXURY,
has rendered the demand for horses so very superior to the example of
any previous period, that no comparative statement of former and present
value can hardly be ascertained. The fashionable rage for expeditious
travelling, and of being conveyed at the rate of EIGHT or NINE miles an
hour from one part of the kingdom to another, is the absolute furor of
the times, and supported at an immense expence by those whose peculiar
personal pride prompts them to display the advantages resulting from
opulence, and the privileges from ostentation; to the incessant misery
and premature destruction of thousands, whose services would be insured
_for years_ by a more moderate and HUMANE mode of treatment. The
incredible increase of light carriages of every description, has opened
such a field for the use of horses of airy form, and easy action, that
they are now in eternal request, at more than _double_, and in many
purchases TREBLE, what they were to be obtained for no more than twenty
years since.
The different kinds of horses bred for various purposes, pass under the
denomination of RUNNING HORSES, HUNTERS, CARRIAGE HORSES, CART HORSES,
ROADSTERS, and HACKS. The first are propagated in the racing studs of
the most opulent characters, and appropriated entirely to the decision
of sporting engagements upon the TURF; many of which, after having
displayed their powers in this way, then become HUNTERS of the _first
class_, and are frequently sold at three and four hundred guineas each.
CARRIAGE HORSES, with which the gay and fashionable are now whirled
through the western streets of the metropolis with the most incredible
velocity, were formerly considered the good, safe, substantial ENGLISH
HUNTER, and might _forty years_ since have been purchased for thirty or
five-and-thirty pounds, which was at that time about the current value:
they are not _now_, however, from the constantly accumulating demand,
and incessant destruction, to be procured in a state of youth and
purity, at less than nearly _three_ times that sum. CART HORSES of great
size, strength, and adequate powers, are principally furnished by the
midland and northern counties, for the coal and corn trade, as well as
the commercial purposes of the city and suburbs, where they command an
incredible price: small and inferior sorts are bred in, and dispersed
through, almost every other county in the kingdom. ROADSTERS and HACKS
may be supposed to include that great infinity of all sizes,
descriptions, and qualifications, with which every road, every common,
and every pasture, seem so plentifully to abound.
If superior judgment and circumspection were ever truly necessary in the
selection and purchase of a HORSE, they are become doubly so, when the
object of pursuit is proportionally difficult of attainment. To direct
the eye, to form the judgment, and to check the natural impetuosity of
the young and inexperienced purchaser, some few remarks are
indispensibly necessary to shield him from the rock of fascination, upon
which so many have repentantly foundered. The mind of man should never
be more itself, never more adequate to the task of cool deliberation and
patient observation, than in the simple examination of a horse for sale.
DECEPTION in _dealing_ is so truly _systematic_, and so truly honorable
in the present age, that the mind cannot be too closely fortified for
all events: whether the subject is to be sold by AUCTION, or by _private
contract_, the property of a GENTLEMAN, or the offer of a _dealer_, the
ground of self defence should be precisely the same.
It is the fixed and invariable rule with every DEALER, to affect, at
_first_, a perfect indifference respecting the horse he wishes most to
get rid of; and he always makes a point of never giving the
_unequivocal_ price of any horse till he has been seen out of the
stable; during which time of _shewing out_, he, as well as his
emissaries and attendants, are occasionally engaged in watching most
attentively every trait of the intentional purchaser's countenance,
anxious for a single sign of approbation, by which to regulate the
magnitude of his demand; asking _five_, _ten_, _fifteen_, or _twenty_
guineas more than he originally intended, in proportion as he finds the
enquirer fascinated with his object of perfection, and disposed to
purchase. Before the horse is brought out, it is in vain to entreat the
ceremony of "_figging_" may be dispensed with; it is declared a _custom_
of _honor_ amongst the fraternity, and must be complied with.
This prelude performed, and his _stern_ thrown upon his back like the
tail of a squirrel, he is literally _driven_ into action; the WHIP (with
which he is privately alarmed in his stall twenty times a day) cannot be
permitted to lay dormant even upon the present occasion, particularly
when its _flaggellating flourish_ can be displayed to so great an
advantage; the irritating severity of the lash, so retentively dreaded,
he _furiously_ flies from, and affords an attracting _specimen_ of
_speed_ you may look for in vain upon any future occasion. After this
curious _exhibition_ of his ACTION, the horse still trembling with a
dread of the _deadly instrument_ waving in his sight, it will be proper
to make a minute and careful examination of his shape, make, PROBABLE
PERFECTION, or possible _blemishes_ and _defects_, if the horse is
permitted by the DEALER to stand quiet, a favor which is not _always_ to
be obtained.
This done, place yourself directly opposite to the horse's head at two
yards distance, in which position, casting your eyes upon his ears, and
dropping them gradually from one point to another, you command, at a
single view, the effect of his countenance, the _good_ or _bad_ state of
his EYES, the breadth of his breast, the _fate_ of his KNEES, the
appearance of SPLENTS, as well as the growth and uniformity of the FEET.
Changing your place to a side view, at similar distance, you have there
the _curve_ of the CREST, the circumference of the BONE, the depth of
the CHEST, the length of the BACK, the strength of the LOINS, the
setting on of the TAIL, and the fashionable finish of the hind quarter;
without which, individually perfect, he cannot be in possession of the
symmetry that is known to constitute a handsome and well-bred horse.
Looking at him _behind_, it is instantly perceived, whether he stands
well upon his legs, and is formed wide, firm and muscular across the
GASKINS, or narrow and contracted, bearing what is termed a
"_bandy-hocked_" or "_cat-hammed_" appearance. The same moment affords
opportunity to observe, if BLOOD SPAVINS are perceptible within side,
BONE SPAVINS without, or CURBS on the back of the HOCK; as well as
SPLENTS upon any one of the legs, and whether he cuts either behind or
before. If blood or bone spavin is observed, it is necessary to
recollect (however attracting the object may be in other respects) they
sooner or later produce LAMENESS to a _certainty_; and although they are
not deemed absolutely _incurable_, they open a field to the disquietude
and anxiety of BLISTERING, FIRING, &c. with the additional and
consolatory ultimatum of a farrier's bill. SPLENTS are by no means so
critical, or dangerous, if seated forward upon the _shank-bone_, and not
likely to interfere with, or vibrate in the action of the tendon,
passing under the denomination of the "back sinews;" in which case, a
good and otherways valuable horse need not be declined for so slight a
cause, where no injury is like to be sustained.
Having proceeded thus far in the examination with strict attention, it
becomes equally necessary to descend minutely to the FEET, in search of
CRACKS, CORNS, THRUSHES, COMPRESSION of the HOOF, NARROW HEELS, or
fleshy protuberances of the _inner_, and consequent projection of the
_outer sole_. The state of the WIND is next the object of enquiry, which
is done by making the customary and critical experiment of pinching the
GULLET or _windpipe_ with considerable force, nearly close to, and just
behind the jaw-bone: should the horse, upon such pressure, force out a
sound substantial cough, (which is sometimes repeated,) the safety of
the wind is ascertained: on the contrary, should nothing be produced but
a faint hollow wheezing, with a palpable heaving of the flanks, the
state of the wind may be justly suspected. Should any doubt arise upon
the decision, (which sometimes happens with the best and most
experienced judges,) let the horse be put into brisk action, and
powerful exertion, when the roaring at a distance, the laboured
respiration, and the preternatural heaving of the flank, after a brisk
gallop of _two thirds_ of a MILE, will determine the state of the wind,
without the least chance of being mistaken.
The EYES, that were only superficially noticed as matter of course in
the front view, when the horse was first brought out of the stable, now
become the necessary objects of minute, patient, and judicious
investigation. If they are clear, full and prominent in the orb,
reflecting your own figure from the pupil, without any protrusion of the
haw from the inner corner, any inflammatory enlargement of the lids, or
any acrid weeping from either, there is then every well-founded reason
to believe they are not only _safe_, but GOOD. On the contrary, should
there appear a seeming sinking of the orbs, with a perceptible
indentation, and a wrinkled contraction above the eyelids, they are very
unfavorable symptoms, indicating impending ill, and should not be
encountered, but with an expectation of certain loss. A small _pig eye_
should be examined with great caution; they are better avoided, if
possible, as their future state is not only to be considered exceedingly
doubtful, but they are always objected to, and productive of vexatious
rebuffs, when a horse is again to be sold. A cloudy muddiness beneath
the outer covering of the eye, or a milky thickening upon the surface,
denotes present _defect_, and probability of future blindness; in all
which cases, prudence should prevent such subject from becoming an
object of attraction.
The AGE, if asked of a dealer, is declared "rising six" or "rising
seven;" for it must be held in remembrance, that their horses are never
acknowledged _younger_ than "FIVE," or _older_ than "SIX OFF"; and what
is still more extraordinary, in addition to this _convenience_, they
possess the sole PATENT for regeneration, having it always in their
power to make a _ten_ years old horse SIX, with the very desirable
advantage to a purchaser, that he shall never be more (_by the mouth_)
so long as he lives. This extra effort of ART, or renewal of _age_,
passes under the denomination of "BISHOPING," (which see,) where a
description of the operation will be found. The AGE of a HORSE by the
mouth is not dissimilar to abstract points in politics with coffee-house
politicians, _largely_ talked of, but _little_ understood; which
circumstance alone has laid open a perpetual field for this eternal and
remorseless imposition: to remedy which, as much as the nature of the
case will admit, and that a matter of so much utility may with very
little attention be perfectly understood, a PLATE is annexed, and
accompanied with such explanatory matter, as will render it easy to
every comprehension. See COLT.
Having gone through, with precision, all that can possibly present
itself upon the score of examination, in respect to age, shape, make,
figure, and action, we arrive at the very _ultimatum_ of enquiry,
respecting the WARRANTY of his being perfectly SOUND. What that warranty
is, and how far it is to _extend_, requires a more correct and limited
line of certainty than seems at present to be understood. BLEMISHES and
DEFECTS are supposed by some not to constitute _unsoundness_, provided
the ACTION of the horse is not impeded by their appearance; whilst, on
the contrary, it is as firmly urged by the impartial and disinterested,
that no horse ought to be _sold as_, or WARRANTED "perfectly sound," but
in a state of natural and unsullied perfection. This criterion is the
more necessary to be ascertained, and laid down by some principle of
law, because the numerous litigations in every successive TERM
demonstrate, that various opinions prevail, according to the INTEREST,
CAPRICE, or PECUNIARY convenience, of individuals concerned; to carry,
support and confirm which, even the prostitution of TRUTH and HONOR must
become subservient. And this "glorious uncertainty of the law" is so
clearly comprehended by the Gentlemen of the Long Robe, that when a
HORSE CAUSE is coming on in any of the Courts, an observation
immediately follows, that "whoever SWEARS the _hardest_ will obtain it."
To prevent suits of such description, (which sometimes happen between
gentlemen of equal honor, and strict integrity,) it is much to be
wished, some direct and unequivocal mode of distinction could be legally
ascertained, how far a general "warranty of soundness" is to extend, and
where the line of perfection or imperfection is to be drawn; as for
instance, to establish, by LAW or CUSTOM, some fixed and invariable
rules, by which the _soundness_ of a horse might so far be insured
between BUYER and SELLER, as to render unnecessary such LAW-SUITS as are
invariably supported by a subornation of perjury on _one_ side or the
_other_. Nothing, perhaps, could conduce more to a cause so desirable,
or tend more to constitute a criterion of equity between all parties, if
once established, and mutually understood; that no horse should be
deemed SOUND, and sold with such WARRANTY, but in a state of PERFECTION,
entirely free from _lameness_, _blemish_, and _defect_, not only at the
time of transfer, but never known to have been otherways: admitting
which mode of dealing to form the basis of equity between one man and
another, an additional observation naturally presents itself, as a
collateral consideration clearly implied, though not particularly
expressed; that a horse sold _bona fide_ sound, and admitted on both
sides to be so at the time of purchase, should have _no_ right to be
_returned_ under any plea whatever; for it is universally known, that
any horse so sold, must be as liable to _fall lame_, become _diseased_,
or even to _die_, in _one hour_ after DELIVERY, as in any other hour of
life. Then where can be the equitable consistency of returning a horse
positively SOUND when _sold_, upon the plea of lameness or disease, when
the time of attack has been merely a matter of chance between one and
the other?
No juvenile or inexperienced purchaser should be too eager and hasty in
his pursuits, or too easily _fascinated_ with a seeming object of
GENERAL ATTRACTION. It is exceedingly easy to purchase "in _haste_, and
repent at _leisure_:" none should be instantly allured by sudden show,
and short inspection; too much trial cannot be obtained, nor too much
patience persevered in during the examination. The sportsman of
prudence, and personal experience, never even _speaks_ upon the _price_,
without previously RIDING the subject in question; this he does in a
remote and quiet situation, then in a busy one. In the former, mount,
dismount, and mount again; survey and critically examine him in a state
of nature, when calm, and at a distance from those he knows to be his
_persecutors_ as well _in_ as _out_ of the stable: it is for want of
these precautions, that there are so many dupes to artifice, who
purchase the dullest jades, without adverting for a moment to the
furious effect of WHIP, SPUR, and _ginger_; the dealer's best friends.
As it is by no means a proof of judgment to purchase _hastily_, so,
having once purchased, it should be an invariable maxim never to part
too rashly. Innumerable are the instances where horses have been
disposed of in the moments of caprice, and precipitately sold for
_fifteen_, _twenty_, or _thirty_ pounds, that have afterwards produced
an hundred or an hundred and fifty guineas. When a horse of promising
appearance, and pleasing action, is rode upon trial, great allowance
should be made for the state of his mouth: he may not only have been
accustomed to a different _bit_ or BRIDLE, but may probably have been
some time ridden by a _previous_ OWNER of very different _temper_ and
_disposition_. One man rides with a _tight_, another with a _slack_
rein: one is a petulant, refractory, impatient rider, who not
unfrequently makes his horse so by his _own_ indiscretion; when, on the
contrary, a mild, serene, and philosophic rider (who ruminates upon the
imperfections of the animal he bestrides, as well as his own) often
enjoys the inexpressible satisfaction of making a convert to his own
good usage and sensibility; constituting, by such patient perseverance,
that very horse a desirable object of acquisition, even to those who
had, upon too slight a foundation, or too short a trial, discarded him
as unworthy any service at all.
Experience affords ample demonstration, that the _tempers_ of HORSES are
as much diversified as the tempers of those who RIDE or DRIVE them; and
it will not be inapplicable for the _young_ to be _told_, or the OLD to
_recollect_, that a great number of horses are made _restive_ and
_vicious_ by ill usage, and then unmercifully _whipped_, _spurred_, and
_beaten_ for being so; in corroboration of which fact, there are numbers
constantly disposed of "to the best bidder," as invincibly restive, at
the _hammer_ of a REPOSITORY, that would in a few weeks, by gentle and
humane treatment, have been reformed to the best tempers, and most
pliable dispositions. Those who have been most attentively accurate in
observation and experience, well know, that personal severity to horses
for _restiveness_ or _starting_, very frequently makes them _worse_, but
is seldom found to make them _better_: it is, therefore, certainly more
rational, more humane, and evidently more gratifying, to effect
subservience by tenderness and manly perseverance (divested of
pusillanimity and fear) than by means of unnatural severity, often
tending to render "the remedy worse than the disease."
HORSES, when at liberty, and in a state of freedom, although they are
exposed to the different degrees of _heat_ and _cold_, (encountering the
utmost _severity_ of the ELEMENTS in opposite seasons,) are well known
to be in more constant health, and less subject to morbidity, than when
destined to the scanty confines of a STABLE, and brought into USE; the
causes of which are too numerous, and too extensive, to come within the
limits of a work of this kind. It is, however, to be presumed, very many
of the SEVERE, DANGEROUS, and, finally, _destructive_ disorders to which
they are so constantly subject, and so perpetually liable, are produced
much more by a want of care and attention in those who OWN or
_superintend_ them, than to any pre-disposing tendency in the animal to
disease. In farther elucidation of which, see "GROOM."
The disorders to which horses are perpetually incident, may be reduced
to a few distinct heads, as the acute, chronic, dangerous, infectious,
and accidental; the major part of those partaking of a joint
description, and technical complication. For instance, staggers,
flatulent or inflammatory cholic, fevers, pleurisy, inflammation of the
lungs, and strangury, may be ranked amongst the acute and dangerous.
GLANDERS and FARCY are admitted to be _infectious_, and in advanced
stages, _incurable_. The GREASE, SURFEIT, MANGE, ASTHMA, &c. may be
termed _chronic_. Accidents and incidents include colds, coughs, swelled
legs, cracked heels, wind-galls, strains, warbles, sitfasts, and a long
train of trifles, by far the greater part of which originate in
carelessness, inhumanity, and indiscretion. A description of all will be
found under their distinct heads; and the means of alleviation and cure
must be derived from the most popular practitioners, or the works of
those who have written professedly upon the subject of VETERINARY
MEDICINE and DISEASE.
HORSES having for so many centuries continued to increase the ease,
comfort, pleasure, and happiness, of all descriptions of people, they
have at length, by the fertile invention of national financiers, been
found equally capable of becoming materially instrumental to the support
of Government, in a degree beyond what the utmost effusions of fancy
could have formed, as will be seen by the very judicious scale of
gradational taxation, accurately copied and annexed. And as there was no
other distinct head, where the DUTIES upon CARRIAGES could with
propriety be introduced, they are here included also, as no inapplicable
addition to requisite information, in which so many are individually
concerned.
_Duties on Horses._
+---------------------------------------+
| Duties on Horses for riding, or |
| drawing Carriages. |
+-----+---------------+-----------------+
| No. | At per Horse. | Total per Year. |
+-----+---------------+-----------------+
| | £. _s._ _d._| £. _s._ _d._|
| 1 | 2 0 0 | 2 0 0 |
| 2 | 3 6 0 | 6 12 0 |
| 3 | 3 12 0 | 10 16 0 |
| 4 | 3 15 0 | 15 0 0 |
| 5 | 3 16 0 | 19 0 0 |
| 6 | 4 0 0 | 24 0 0 |
| 7 | 4 1 0 | 28 7 0 |
| 8 | 4 1 0 | 32 8 0 |
| 9 | 4 1 6 | 36 13 6 |
| 10 | 4 2 0 | 41 0 0 |
| 11 | 4 2 0 | 45 2 0 |
| 12 | 4 2 0 | 49 4 0 |
| 13 | 4 2 6 | 53 12 6 |
| 14 | 4 2 6 | 57 15 0 |
| 15 | 4 2 6 | 61 17 0 |
| 16 | 4 2 6 | 66 0 0 |
| 17 | 4 3 0 | 70 11 0 |
| 18 | 4 3 6 | 75 3 0 |
| 19 | 4 4 0 | 79 16 0 |
| 20 | 4 5 0 | 85 0 0 |
| |
| And so on for any Number. |
+---------------------------------------+
_On Horses and Mules._
+---------------------------------------+
| Duties on other Horses, and on |
| Mules. |
+-----+---------------+-----------------+
| No. | At per Horse. | Total per Year. |
+-----+---------------+-----------------+
| | £. _s._ _d._| £. _s._ _d._|
| 1 | 0 12 6 | 0 12 6 |
| 2 | | 1 5 0 |
| 3 | | 1 17 6 |
| 4 | | 2 10 0 |
| 5 | | 3 2 6 |
| 6 | | 3 15 0 |
| 7 | | 4 7 6 |
| 8 | | 5 0 0 |
| 9 | | 5 12 6 |
| 10 | | 6 5 0 |
| 11 | | 6 17 6 |
| 12 | | 7 10 0 |
| 13 | | 8 2 6 |
| 14 | | 8 15 0 |
| 15 | | 9 7 6 |
| 16 | | 10 0 0 |
| 17 | | 10 12 6 |
| 18 | | 11 5 0 |
| 19 | | 11 17 6 |
| 20 | | 12 10 0 |
| |
| And so on for any Number. |
+---------------------------------------+
_Duties on Carriages._
+--------------------------------------+
| Duties on Carriages with four |
| Wheels, for private Use. |
+---+-----------------+----------------+
|No.|At per Carriage. | Total per Year.|
+---+-----------------+----------------+
| | £. _s._ _d._ | £. _s._ _d._ |
| 1 | 10 0 0 | 10 0 0 |
| 2 | 11 0 0 | 22 0 0 |
| 3 | 12 0 0 | 36 0 0 |
| 4 | 12 10 0 | 50 0 0 |
| 5 | 13 0 0 | 65 0 0 |
| 6 | 13 10 0 | 81 0 0 |
| 7 | 14 0 0 | 98 0 0 |
| 8 | 14 10 0 | 116 0 0 |
| 9 | 15 0 0 | 135 0 0 |
| |
| And so on for any Number. |
+--------------------------------------+
+-------------------------------+
|Duties upon Stage Coaches, and |
|Post Chaises, with four Wheels,|
| at 8_l._ 8_s._ 0_d._ each. |
+------+---+-------------+------+
|No.| |
+---+-------------+
| | £. _s._ _d._|
| 1 | 8 8 0 |
| 2 | 16 16 0 |
| 3 | 25 4 0 |
| 4 | 33 12 0 |
| 5 | 42 0 0 |
| 6 | 50 8 0 |
| 7 | 58 16 0 |
| 8 | 67 4 0 |
| 9 | 75 12 0 |
+---+-------------+
_Duties on Carriages with Two Wheels._
£. _s._ _d._
Drawn by one Horse 5 5 0 each
Do. by Two or more 7 7 0
Taxed Carts 1 4 0
HORSE-DEALERS—are persons who derive their subsistence, and obtain a
livelihood, by buying and selling of horses only; and these were become
so numerous in both town and country, that, either to restrain the
number, or to render the occupation proportionally serviceable to the
exigencies of the State, the following duties have been imposed. Every
Person exercising the trade or business of a HORSE-DEALER, must pay
ANNUALLY, if within London, Westminster, the Parishes of St.
Mary-le-Bone, and St. Pancras, in Middlesex, the weekly Bills of
Mortality, or the Borough of Southwark, 10_l._ In any other Part of
Great Britain, 5_l._
HORSE DEALERS shall cause the words "LICENCED TO DEAL IN HORSES," to be
painted or written in large and legible Characters, either on a Sign
hung out, or on some visible Place in the Front of their House, Gateway,
or Stables; and if he shall sell any Horse without fixing such Token, he
shall forfeit 10_l._ to be recovered by Action; Half to the King, and
Half to the Informer. 36th George Third, c. xvii.
HORSEMANSHIP—is the act of riding with ease, grace, and fortitude. It
may be taken in two points of view; as those who, self-taught, become
proficients equally with those who derive instruction from the SCHOOLS,
of which there are many of established celebrity. Doubts, however, have
arisen, and opposite opinions have been supported, whether the sportsman
who has acquired the art from nature, habit, and practice, is not, in
general, a more easy, graceful, expert, and courageous horseman, than
the major part of those who have been in the _trammels_ (and riding the
great horse) of the most able and eminent professors. As there are but
few of these schools, except in the metropolis, and excellent horsemen
to be seen in every part of the kingdom, that circumstance alone seems
to justify the presumption, that there is much more of NATURE than of
_art_ in the acquisition. However unnecessary the instructions of a
RIDING MASTER may be in forming the qualifications and graces of a
FOXHUNTER, they become indispensibly requisite to the completion of a
MILITARY EDUCATION, in which personal dignity, and adequate authority,
must be properly and systematically maintained.
Previous to every other consideration in the art of horsemanship, it is
necessary to be well acquainted with every minute circumstance, and
regular routine, of stable discipline; to know the name and use of every
utensil; to comprehend the application of every distinct part of the
apparatus with which a horse is caparisoned, and to understand perfectly
the property of each kind of bridle, and the effect they are
individually calculated to produce. These are conjunctively of such
material import to safety, and such palpable proofs of judicious
arrangement and solid judgment, that they may, in the aggregate, be
considered the very foundation upon which the reputation of a HORSEMAN
is to be formed. Preparatory to mounting, particularly for a journey, or
the chase, the experienced SPORTSMAN, feeling for the frailties and
inadvertencies of human nature, never trusts too much to the hands and
eyes of _others_, when not deprived of the use of his OWN; but prudently
condescends to examine, by the glance of an eye, how far the horse, and
appendages, are adequate to the purpose in which he is then going to
engage.
This being done, he comes gently up to his horse, opposite the shoulder,
on the _near_ (that is the left) side: when facing the wither, he takes
the reins of the bridle with a tuft of the mane firmly in his left hand,
and of about the same length they are held in when mounted. The horse
standing still, (which he should always be accustomed to do when
mounting,) and not _before_, the right-hand is employed in supporting
the stirrup on that side, for the reception of the left foot; when which
is safely inserted, the right-hand is removed from the stirrup to the
hinder part of the saddle, where it forms a support or lever to assist
in raising the right leg from the ground, and to pass it gradually and
steadily over the body of the horse, where it falls readily into contact
with the stirrup on that side. When first the reins are taken in hand,
due observance should be made of the medium they are to be held in; that
is, not _tight_ enough to make the horse uneasy, and to run back, or
_slack_ enough to afford him an opportunity to _set off_ before his
rider is firmly SEATED.
When mounted, the body should be easily and pliably erect, inclining
rather backwards than forwards; the weight entirely resting upon the
posteriors, proportionally relieved by the continuation of the thighs,
and an equal moderate pressure of both the legs upon the sides of the
horse. To preserve which position free from constraint and stiffness,
the proper _length_ of the STIRRUPS is a matter most material to be
attended to; for unless they are in _length_ adapted to the _stature_ of
the RIDER, it will be impracticable for him to keep a firm and graceful
seat, particularly with _violent_, _vicious_, or _restive_ horses, upon
many emergencies. The general error, particularly with inexperienced
horsemen, who have never been accustomed to ride in the early part of
life, is having their stirrups ridiculously _short_, by which they
injudiciously conceive they insure their own personal safety; though the
opposite is the fact, and with a spirited horse they are always in
greater danger; for the knees being lifted above the skirt of the
saddle, the thighs are rendered useless, the legs are deprived of their
necessary assistance, the rider is left without a seat or fulcrum to
sustain his position, and _rocking_ first on one side, then _swinging_
on the other, he is left entirely at the mercy of his horse. That this
may be the better reconciled to every comprehension, the stirrups, for
ease and safety, should be exactly in this state; that the rider sitting
upon his horse (either still or in action) should be able to disengage
his foot from the stirrup at a single motion, and by keeping his foot in
a direct horizontal position, would have the command and power of
recovering or catching the stirrup almost instantaneously, with the
slightest effort for that purpose.
These remarks, properly attended to, the body will be found easy, firm,
and commanding; divested of all those _rockings_, _jerkings_, and
_twistings_, sometimes over the horse's _head_, at others over his
_tail_, displaying the FEATS of an _involuntary_ attitudinarian, seldom
seen but in HYDE PARK, or the _environs_ of the METROPOLIS. The
left-hand is termed the _bridle-hand_, and the left elbow must come
nearly into gentle contact with the body, which it has always for its
support in any sudden _jump_, _start_, or _stumble_, of the horse; in
want of which regular bearing (if required) the hand could not be always
equally steady, and would of course frequently, but unintentionally,
prove a check to the horse. It is impossible to lay down fixed and
invariable rules for the precise distance of the left-hand from the
breast, or its heighth from the saddle; horses differ so much in their
MOUTHS, that the bridle-hand must be used _higher_ or _lower_, and the
reins _longer_ or _shorter_ in proportion. The right-hand (termed, in
racing, the whip-hand) should be held in a kind of corresponding
uniformity with the left, acting also occasionally in the use of the
reins, and the management of the mouth; and this is the more necessary,
as every complete HORSEMAN, or perfect SPORTSMAN, can manage the reins
(of even a _run-away_ horse) as well with _one_ hand as the _other_.
The hand should always be firm, but delicately pliable, feelingly alive
to every motion of the mouth; for, by _giving_ and taking properly, the
horse has better opportunity to display his spirit, and demonstrate the
pleasure he receives, in being encouraged to champ upon the bit. As the
necessary qualifications which constitute the excellence of horsemanship
can never be derived from _theory_, and are only to be acquired by
PRACTICE, it becomes concisely applicable to make such remarks, and
inculcate such general instructions, as may be usefully retained in the
memory of those, who, not feeling themselves too confident in their own
ability, are content to avail themselves of information resulting from
an experience of which they are not yet in possession. After all the
trouble and expence of breaking horses, by the best and most expert
professors in that way, yet there are numbers possess, by nature, and
retain by habit and temper, faults and vices, not only unpleasant and
inconvenient, but even unsafe and dangerous, to those who ride them. An
impetuous, ill-tempered rider, who is always expecting his horse to do
more than nature ever intended, will soon make the animal as petulant
and refractory as himself: few passionate riders become _good_ and
_humane_ horsemen; great patience, serenity, and some philosophy, is
required to meet the variegated and unexpected vicissitudes unavoidably
to be encountered in the field, as well as upon the road.
A hot, high-spirited horse, and a fiery, petulant rider, constitute a
paradoxical, heterogeneous connection; for as they support a perpetual
war between them, and neither feels disposed to submit, so they continue
to irritate and render each other worse than they were before. A horse,
from natural sagacity, soon discovers the mildness and placidity of his
rider, proportioning his own obedience and docility accordingly; of
which greater proof need not be adduced, than his absolutely following
the master or servant from whom he receives good usage, as well as his
being left at different doors totally _unconfined_, in the midst of
populous streets, and thronged with carriages, from whence he will not
attempt to stir, till removed by the voice or hand to which he belongs.
Horsemen of tenderness and reflection are ever attentive to the animal
who contributes so much to their own health, happiness, or emolument;
and omit no one opportunity, that presents itself, of promoting their
ease and comfort in return. If the horse, from natural shyness and
timidity, or probably from ill usage in the possession of a former
master, is alarmed at the sight or motion of _stick_ or _whip_, a rider
of this description quiets his fears, by letting it gradually decline
behind his own thigh near the flank of the horse: the _fool_, or the
_madman_, brandishes it before his eyes, in confirmation of his own
ignorance or insanity.
HORSES who are addicted to _starting_, do it from fear, and not from
opposition; the recollection of which should instantly excite a
consideration of pity and tenderness in the rider; but it is much to be
regretted, so great is the depravity of the human mind, that nine times
out of ten, this very fear (the palpable effect of constitutional
timidity) is productive of the most _severe_ and _unmerited_ punishment.
It is no uncommon thing to see a much greater brute than the animal he
bestrides, most unmercifully _beating_, _whipping_, and _spurring_, a
poor creature, for possessing a sensation in common with ourselves. If
every one of the human species were to be beat, bruised, and crippled,
for being justly alarmed at the appearance of danger, or the sight of
unnatural and unexpected objects of surprize, our hospitals could never
prove sufficiently capacious to receive _half_ the patients that would
be daily presented for admission. If caution, and the apprehension of
danger, is thus instinctively interwoven with the very frame of MAN, is
it not natural that the HORSE (who has likewise the power of seeing,
hearing, and feeling) may be equally alarmed at, and afraid of,
impending destruction? Will any, but the most incredulous STOIC, presume
to argue, or to doubt, that the horse has not the same susceptibility of
pain, and the same dread of dissolution, as ourselves? Has he not the
same degree of precaution and circumspection in avoiding calamity when
it depends upon himself? Has he not the same fear of being crushed to
atoms by the weight of any superior power suspended above himself? Has
he not the same fear of being drowned? Is he not equally alarmed if even
gently led to the brink of an awful precipice, and does he not instantly
retreat with horror? Is he not terrified, even to a deprivation of
motion, at the sight of fire? Why then can it create surprize, that he
should be afraid of, and alarmed at, a high-loaded broad-wheel waggon
upon a narrow road, whose ponderous summit seems to threaten his
probable and speedy annihilation?
If then it is thus clearly demonstrated, and must be candidly admitted,
that the true cause of a horse's STARTING is _fear_, what magical effect
is _violence_ on the part of the rider to produce? Nothing can more
forcibly evince the _passion_, _folly_, _ignorance_, and _inhumanity_,
of the lower classes, than the prevalence of this practice. That horses
may be made to pass objects of dislike and dread by such means is not to
be disputed; it is only presumed that lenity, patience, and mild
persuasion, are the most preferable, and by far the most gentleman-like
of the two. It is the business of the rider to conquer, and become
master of his horse; but violent passion, and coercive measures, need
not be resorted to, till the more lenient attempts have failed.
Notwithstanding the idea here inculcated, of not _violently_ and
_suddenly_ pressing a horse up to a carriage, waggon, or any other
object at which he has started, it is necessary he should be made to
know he _must pass it_, which he may be made to do by a modulated tone
of the voice, a moderate and judicious use of the rein, and a proper
pressure of one or both legs, as well, _or better_, than by any forcible
means whatever.
The use of the LEGS is a very important consideration, not only in the
due correction of a HORSE that starts, but in the AIRS taught in the
MANEGE; where the horse is supported and helped by the _hands_ and
_legs_ in every action required, from whence he is technically said to
perform his airs by AIDS from the rider. When a horse, in starting,
begins to fly on one side, for the purpose of turning from the object he
wishes to avoid, the instantaneous, strong and sudden pressure of the
leg on that side counteracts his spring, and, with the joint exertion of
the rein and wrist, immediately brings him straight; at which moment,
the same use being made of both legs, as was just before made with one,
he has no alternative, but to submit to the determined correction, and
soon passes the object of dread or dislike, and proceeds in the way he
is required. As the legs are of great utility in the PROPER management
of a horse, so they are the very reverse, if _improperly_ brought into
action. Nothing sooner denotes the inability of a rider, than to see the
legs swinging like a pendulum, and alternately beating against the sides
of the horse: if he is a spirited horse, and well broke, he conceives
himself intentionally excited to brisker action; if, on the contrary, he
is a dull and sluggish goer, it only adds to his habitual callosity.
HUMANITY having been already mentioned as one of the leading
qualifications necessary to constitute the character of a perfect
HORSEMAN, or true SPORTSMAN, (which are nearly synonimous), it
invariably prompts each to insure, upon all occasions, the necessary
comforts for his HORSE, before he bestows a single thought upon his
_own_. It has been wisely observed, that the man who rides _fast_
without a _motive_, never affords himself time for reflection; and that
he who is always in a GALLOP, is either a _fool_ or a _madman_. These
remarks probably originated in an observation resulting from experience,
and tolerably correct in the application; that those who ride _hardest_,
are generally the most indifferent about the CARE of their HORSES. Those
who act prudently, and with a proper attention to their own interest,
will occasionally condescend to take a survey of the stable management
within, as well as the enjoyment of pleasure without; upon the old and
well-founded maxim, that "the master's eye makes the work light;" with
the additional advantage of most probably keeping disease at a distance.
The same degree of discretion which regulates the conduct of the young
and inexperienced SPORTSMAN in one respect, will regulate it in another:
having the health and safety of his horse at heart, he will never hurry
him for the first hour in the morning, till time and gentle action has
enabled him to unload his carcase; he will never make unreasonably long
stages upon the ROAD; ride races, or take _unnecessary leaps_ in the
FIELD: at the conclusion of the JOURNEY or CHASE, he will see, that
whatever he may think necessary to be done, is so, without implicitly
relying upon _imaginary_ punctuality, in ordering it to be done by
OTHERS. These suggestions, however, apply more to INNS upon the _road_,
and the LIVERY STABLES in the METROPOLIS, than to the private stables,
and regular establishments, of gentlemen having servants of reputation,
upon whose fidelity they can fix a firm reliance.
HORSE-SHOE—is a plate of iron mechanically constructed for the
preservation of the foot, and formed of different sizes and thickness,
according to the substance, weight, and work, of the horse for whom it
is made. See SHOEING and SMITH.
HORSE-RACING—has been a favorite sport with the superior classes for
many centuries, but never arrived at any degree of local celebrity till
the reign of CHARLES the SECOND; who, entering into the spirit of the
TURF, and becoming personally present with the full splendor of his
court, then laid the foundation of the meetings at NEWMARKET, which are
now become so justly eminent, and where RACING has long since attained
the full zenith of perfection. This sport during so many years, had
undergone a variety of changes and depressions, according to the temper
of the times, the dispositions of the people, and the fluctuation of
events; amidst all which, it seems to have been the peculiar province of
the great DUKE of CUMBERLAND (uncle of his present Majesty) to have
become the principal instrument of renovation; having, by incessant
exertion, and personal example, raised the spirit of the TURF to a
degree of eminence and emulation, the brilliant rays of which will most
probably never be totally obscured, till "time itself shall be no more."
This, however, was not effected without an immensity of expence, and an
incredible succession of LOSSES, to the _sharks_, _Greeks_, and
_black-legs_ of that time, by whom his Royal Highness was eternally
surrounded, and incessantly pillaged; but having, in the greatness of
his mind, the military maxim of "persevere and conquer," he was not to
be deterred from the object of pursuit, till, having just become
possessor of the best STOCK, best BLOOD, and most numerous STUD in the
kingdom, beating his opponents "at all points," he suddenly "passed that
bourne from whence no traveller returns;" an irreparable loss to the
TURF, and universally lamented by the kingdom at large.
This unexpected and severe stroke occasioned a temporary stagnation; and
the general gloom, with which all the interested were for some time
affected, seemed to threaten a serious suspension, if not a total
annihilation; but the STUD being announced for SALE at the GREAT LODGE
in WINDSOR PARK, it afforded scope for the most _fertile_ speculations,
and those who had lost (by the Duke's death) the most striking and
opulent object of their depredations, now found it prudent to form
themselves into a _family_ combination and compact, by whose
_indefatigable industry_ the sporting part of the public were most
shamefully robbed for five-and-twenty years, at all the races of note
for fifty miles round London; when finding, in their own phrase, that
"the GAME was _quite up_," their persons were known, and their practices
exploded, they disposed of the FAMILY STUD, withdrawing themselves as
PRINCIPALS, and acting only as _accessories_ upon _private_ information
from the subordinates, upon which the experience of years has proved a
handsome subsistence is to be obtained.
These discoveries in almost every direction, roused gentlemen of
FORTUNE, HONOR, and INTEGRITY, from the apathy to which they had been
inadvertently lulled; and seeing the absolute necessity of a separation
from a set of _marked_ unprincipled miscreants, proper means of
exclusion were adopted, the RULES of the JOCKEY CLUB (which see) were
revised and improved; every proper mode being taken to prevent the
introduction and election of those, whose characters and property were
not known to accord with the principles of the original institution.
Here followed another temporary gloom; the deaths of several of the most
zealous amateurs and supporters of the turf, in almost immediate
succession, caused such a general _sterility_, that NEWMARKET was
literally in _mourning_; training-grooms and stable-lads were daily
becoming gentlemen at large (or rather _wanderers_) for want of
employment. As casual circumstances frequently effect CONTRASTS, or
operate by EXTREMES, so, during the last twelve or fourteen years,
RACING has experienced another resurrection; but DEATH, that unrelenting
"leveller of all distinctions," has recently deprived us of some of its
most experienced devotees, whose STUDS of course are successively coming
to the hammer, and indicate at present no certain prospect of increasing
popularity. As this subject will be repeatedly treated on, under those
heads to which it particularly appertains, it becomes only necessary to
introduce the fixed RULES and REGULATIONS, as invariably observed at
NEWMARKET, (which is the standard for the kingdom in general,) by all
those who support a character for punctuality and integrity upon the
turf.
It is enacted by different ACTS of PARLIAMENT, That no person whatsoever
shall _enter_, _start_, or _run_ any HORSE, MARE, or GELDING, for any
PLATE, PRIZE, SUM of MONEY, or other thing, unless such horse, mare, or
gelding, shall be truly and _bona fide_ the property of, and belonging
to, such person so entering, starting, or running the same: nor shall
any person enter and start _more_ than one horse, mare, or gelding, for
one and the same plate, prize, or sum of money, under the forfeiture of
the horse, horses, or value thereof.
Any person that shall enter, start, or run a horse, mare, or gelding,
for less value than fifty pounds, forfeits the sum of TWO HUNDRED
POUNDS. Every person that shall print, publish, advertise or proclaim
any money, or other thing, to be run for, of less value than fifty
pounds, forfeits the sum of ONE HUNDRED POUNDS. Every race for any
plate, prize, or sum of money, to be begun and ended in one day. Horses
may run on Newmarket Heath, in the counties of CAMBRIDGE and SUFFOLK,
and Black Hambleton, in the county of YORK, for less value than fifty
pounds, without incurring any penalty.
All and every sum and sums of money paid for entering of any horse,
mare, or gelding, to start for any plate, prize, sum of money, or other
thing, shall go and be paid to the second best horse, mare, or gelding,
which shall start or run for such plate, prize, or sum of money, as
aforesaid. PROVIDED, that nothing therein contained shall extend, or be
construed to extend, to prevent the starting or running any horse, mare,
or gelding, for any plate, prize, sum of money, or other thing or things
issuing out of, or paid for, by the rents, issues, and profits, of any
lands, tenements, or hereditaments; or of or by the interest of any sum
or sums of money chargeable with the same, or appropriated to that
purpose.
Every horse, mare, or gelding, entered to start or run for any plate,
prize, sum of money, or other thing whatsoever, shall pay the sum of
_two pounds two shillings_. And be it further enacted, That the owner of
every horse, mare, or gelding, entered to start or run for any plate,
prize, sum of money, or other thing, shall, previous to the entering or
starting such horse, mare, or gelding, pay the sum of TWO POUNDS TWO
SHILLINGS, as the duty for one year, into the hands of the CLERK of the
COURSE, Book-keeper, or other person authorized to make the entry of
such horse, mare, or gelding; and if any owner shall, previous to the
starting, _neglect_ or _refuse_ to pay the said sum of two pounds two
shillings, for such entrance, to the Clerk of the Course, Book-keeper,
or other person authorized to make the entry as aforesaid, the owner or
owners of every such horse, mare, or gelding, shall forfeit and pay the
sum of TWENTY POUNDS.