Chapter D (7)

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.