These are men who work the horses. Some also have the stable management of them. The gentleman's coachman has already been spoken of. The others are postboys, hackney-coachmen, cab, omnibus, noddy, and stage drivers, carters, ploughmen, and so forth. It is needless to speak of these in detail. A glance at what has already been said of stablemen will indicate what are the most essential qualifications, and what their most common vices, with the consequences of their vice. It is only necessary to observe farther, that, in addition to sobriety and skill in their employment, all those who work the horses should be humane. Every stableman should feel for a feeble horse, and spare him; but in those who drive, kindness is of more importance. I have known horses purposely driven to death, or so overtasked, that debility, and other consequences of severe labor, gave the driver an excuse for demanding exchange. These things have been done, sometimes because the horse was too slow, too fast, or too feeble; sometimes merely because he was awkward to manage, or did not please the eye of the driver.

Such things could never happen in the hands of an humane man.

But, though the horses are sometimes purposely abused and destroyed by cruel drivers, they are much oftener injured by bad drivers. They are often lamed by starting, and by stopping them too suddenly. They ought to have some warning in both cases; it always indicates bad driving when a horse is thrown upon his knees at starting, or upon his haunches at stopping, or upon his side at turning. A fall is not always the consequence, but some part is sprained by the violent effort which the horse is compelled to make in obeying the oh. A bad driver is also apt to overwork an unseasoned or a hot horse, especially when driving more than one. He often allows a free-working horse to do more than his share Drunkenness, through dangerous in every situation, is to be avoided more in the driver than in the stableman. Most frequently he loses all skill in driving, and is liable to all the accidents arising from the want of it. Very often he retains his senses sufficiently to manage the horses, and yet does them a great deal of mischief, though he may not run into a ditch, nor upset the vehicle. The racing madness falls upon him; he challenges all who travel in the same direction, and he must beat all; or, if there be no one with whom he can contend, he will run against time.

Hence the horses are lamed or overworked, or injured in various other ways.