Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 2, 1802).djvu/516

484&#93; 4S4] HOR H OR is not far distant, when this sense"-* less prejudice will lose its influence! over those men of sense and under- standing who are now fascinated by it; and when the vitiated taste of horse-dealers will be treated with merited contempt. Independently of the important services which the horse renders human practice, of docking and mankind by his labour, his dung affords an excellent manure ; a short account of which we have inserted, p. ip8 of the present vo- and, when fattened, affords good and wholesome meat ; while a horse progressively declines, till he, literally, " is of no value." Of the number of pleasure horses kept in England only, we have al- ready spoken, p. 333, of our first volume j but, in this place we are induced severely to censure the in- nicking their tails, for no other reason, than to improve the beauty of their appearance, and to pre- vent them from " flinging the dirt;" thus depriving them of a very useful part, which was cer- tainly designed by Nature for de- fending them from flies and other lunie. The urine, or stale, of these animals, likewise furnishes an ex- cellent fertilizing liquor, if preserv- ed with the brine, suds, &c. of the house : some caution, however, » Visecf s, during the summer heats, necessary, in applying it to the soil if for no other ostensible reason Besides, it is highly probable that the tail assists the animal even in his common exertions ; balances his body when trotting, and thus pre- vents him from stumbling ; lor it has been observed, by those who are conversant with the manners and customs of the East, that the horses of Turkey and Persia seldom stumble ; a circumstance easily ac- counted for, as the absurd and bru Horse-urine is equally beneficial to all lands ; but it should be pre- viously diluted in a proper vessel, with half the quantity o£ pond- ten- ter, and in that state poured on the ground. Thus, the great heat of this manure, which, in particular seasons, is apt to burn some crops, may be easily corrected. As the utility of horses exceeds that of all other domestic animals, we shall subjoin a few characferis- tal practice of docking is unknown tic marks, by which their general in those countries. qualities may be ascertained, and Another operation, equally cruel some of die numerous frauds com- and injudicious, is that of cropping mitted by grooms, jockies, &c. op- the ears of horses, which may per- portunely prevented. haps be justified, where an animal In old horses, the. eye-pits ar<j has large, wide lopping ears, desti- generally deep: this mark, how- tute of all spring or motion, and ever, is very uncertain, as it is also which are in some degree a de- found on young animals descended formity. But to cut ofl" a pair of from aged stallions. But the most fine ears from a horse's head, mere- certain criterion is that derived ly to ^ratify the ridiculous taste of from the teeth, the number of grooms and jockies, is, if possible, which amounts to 40 } namely, 2 4 still more absurd than to dock or grinders, or double, teeth, 4 tu-Jies, -nick his tail. It is, indeed, utterly and 12 fore-teeth: these last are indefensible : for the ears neither the surest guides for discovering retard the animal's motion, nor the age of a horse. They appear '* fling dirt."»-»We trust the day about I'i. days alia- the colt is waW cd;