Black Beauty

Black Beauty must rank in the top three famous horses in the English speaking world and Anna Sewell, author of the eponymous book is equally famous for her campaign against the bearing rein. People and horses have been fighting against the bearing rein since long before Anna Sewell started writing and continue fighting it today. She neither started the battle, nor won it, but is indelibly linked with the campaign which included such luminaries as Robert Baden-Powell and King Edward VIII (as he nearly was). To fail with allies like these suggests either, the issue is not as clear cut as she supposed, or the weight of tradition creates massive cultural inertia.

Why are Black Beauty and Anna Sewell inextricably linked with the campaign against the bearing rein yet forgotten in the modern anti bit, anti shoe, anti whip and anti hunting environment of today. I remembered Black Beauty's introduction to trains and how to lead horses out of burning buildings for more than 40 years but I had forgotten Beauty's dislike of blinkers and cruppers, which is strange as today I am a passionate advocate of blinkerless and crupperless driving.

Anna Sewell wasn't a lone voice crying in the wilderness against blinkers and cruppers, or bits, shoes and whips any more than she was on bearing reins. John Philipson, Vice President of the Institute of British Carriage Manufacturers, writing in 1882 on winkers (blinkers) says "I have not the slightest hesitation in asserting that they may be safely dispensed with in nine cases out of every ten. As a proof, I have only to point to the 3,000 horses employed by the Midland railway Company, and 2,000 by the North Eastern and London Companies. These animals are neither troubled by winkers or crupper docks, and in performing their daily work (which is as heavy as that done by any other class of horse), instead of exhibiting nervousness or unruliness, they show a degree of docility and sagacity only possible with unobstructed eyesight and perfect freedom of limb."

It might be argued that blinkers are unnecessary when the animals are common plodders but high performance horses need them. I can only suggest you try this argument with the Royal Horse Artillery who stopped using blinkers between Waterloo and 1857, and haven't used them since. If you think galloping with artillery across country under fire is an activity for plodders, I don't.

Questions about the usefulness or desirability of bits are older still. Guillam Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle, writing in 1657 says "The bridle I confess is of some use, though but little; art avails much more, as all your excellent riders know; for I have managed a horse with a halter only and he went as well as with the bridle, of which I have so many witnesses in this city of Antwerp, who have seen the thing. I have also managed an English one with a scarf and made him curvet and vault very justly; so that it is not the bridle, but the art of the rider that renders the horse tractable."

Anna Sewell was not alone, or particularly revolutionary, in what she said. The book contains elements of snobbery, though rather less than in Dorothy L Sayers writing 40 years later. It is not great literature, but then I don't read much great literature since I finished school and could read what I chose. Black Beauty is surprisingly prophetic, or maybe we were all subliminally influenced by Beauty, and Ginger, Merrylegs and Sir Oliver, and we are creating a horse world where they would be happy. It is time to let them speak for themselves starting with Duchess, Beauty's mother, on Hunting.

“Well, no,” she said, “you must not say that; but though I am an old horse, and have seen and heard a great deal, I never yet could make out why men are so fond of this sport; they often hurt themselves, often spoil good horses, and tear up the fields, and all for a hare or a fox, or a stag, that they could get more easily some other way; but we are only horses, and don’t know.”
Duchess, Black Beauty's mother, speaking after she and Black Beauty watched her son, Rob Roy, and the Squire's son, die in pursuit of a hare.

Not many days after we heard the church-bell tolling for a long time, and looking over the gate we saw a long, strange black coach that was covered with black cloth and was drawn by black horses; after that came another and another and another, and all were black, while the bell kept tolling, tolling. They were carrying young Gordon to the churchyard to bury him. He would never ride again. What they did with Rob Roy I never knew; but ’twas all for one little hare.

After what is I believe called the Kill, Black Beauty on the subject of bits.

I had of course long been used to a halter and a headstall, and to be led about in the fields and lanes quietly, but now I was to have a bit and bridle; my master gave me some oats as usual, and after a good deal of coaxing he got the bit into my mouth, and the bridle fixed, but it was a nasty thing! Those who have never had a bit in their mouths cannot think how bad it feels; a great piece of cold hard steel as thick as a man’s finger to be pushed into one’s mouth, between one’s teeth, and over one’s tongue, with the ends coming out at the corner of your mouth, and held fast there by straps over your head, under your throat, round your nose, and under your chin; so that no way in the world can you get rid of the nasty hard thing; it is very bad! yes, very bad!

Black Beauty on shoes.

The next unpleasant business was putting on the iron shoes; that too was very hard at first. My master went with me to the smith’s forge, to see that I was not hurt or got any fright. The blacksmith took my feet in his hand, one after the other, and cut away some of the hoof. It did not pain me, so I stood still on three legs till he had done them all. Then he took a piece of iron the shape of my foot, and clapped it on, and drove some nails through the shoe quite into my hoof, so that the shoe was firmly on. My feet felt very stiff and heavy, but in time I got used to it.

Black Beauty on Blinkers and Cruppers

And now having got so far, my master went on to break me to harness; there were more new things to wear. First, a stiff heavy collar just on my neck, and a bridle with great side-pieces against my eyes called blinkers, and blinkers indeed they were, for I could not see on either side, but only straight in front of me; next, there was a small saddle with a nasty stiff strap that went right under my tail; that was the crupper. I hated the crupper; to have my long tail doubled up and poked through that strap was almost as bad as the bit. I never felt more like kicking, but of course I could not kick such a good master, and so in time I got used to everything, and could do my work as well as my mother.

Black beauty on stabling.

I was quite happy in my new place, and if there was one thing that I missed it must not be thought I was discontented; all who had to do with me were good and I had a light airy stable and the best of food. What more could I want? Why, liberty! For three years and a half of my life I had had all the liberty I could wish for; but now, week after week, month after month, and no doubt year after year, I must stand up in a stable night and day except when I am wanted, and then I must be just as steady and quiet as any old horse who has worked twenty years. Straps here and straps there, a bit in my mouth, and blinkers over my eyes. Now, I am not complaining, for I know it must be so. I only mean to say that for a young horse full of strength and spirits, who has been used to some large field or plain where he can fling up his head and toss up his tail and gallop away at full speed, then round and back again with a snort to his companions—I say it is hard never to have a bit more liberty to do as you like.

Merrylegs on whips.

The other children had ridden me about for nearly two hours, and then the boys thought it was their turn, and so it was, and I was quite agreeable. They rode me by turns, and I galloped them about, up and down the fields and all about the orchard, for a good hour. They had each cut a great hazel stick for a riding- whip, and laid it on a little too hard; but I took it in good part, till at last I thought we had had enough, so I stopped two or three times by way of a hint. Boys, you see, think a horse or pony is like a steam- engine or a thrashing-machine, and can go on as long and as fast as they please; they never think that a pony can get tired, or have any feelings; so as the one who was whipping me could not understand I just rose up on my hind legs and let him slip off behind—that was all. He mounted me again, and I did the same. Then the other boy got up, and as soon as he began to use his stick I laid him on the grass, and so on, till they were able to understand—that was all. They are not bad boys; they don’t wish to be cruel. I like them very well; but you see I had to give them a lesson. When they brought me to James and told him I think he was very angry to see such big sticks. He said they were only fit for drovers or gypsies, and not for young gentlemen.”

And back to blinkers.

This wise speech of good little Merrylegs, which we knew was quite true, cooled us all down, especially Sir Oliver, who was dearly fond of his master; and to turn the subject I said, “Can any one tell me the use of blinkers?”

“No!” said Sir Oliver shortly, “because they are no use.”

“They are supposed,” said Justice, the roan cob, in his calm way, “to prevent horses from shying and starting, and getting so frightened as to cause accidents.”

“Then what is the reason they do not put them on riding horses; especially on ladies’ horses?” said I.

“There is no reason at all,” said he quietly, “except the fashion; they say that a horse would be so frightened to see the wheels of his own cart or carriage coming behind him that he would be sure to run away, although of course when he is ridden he sees them all about him if the streets are crowded. I admit they do sometimes come too close to be pleasant, but we don’t run away; we are used to it, and understand it, and if we never had blinkers put on we should never want them; we should see what was there, and know what was what, and be much less frightened than by only seeing bits of things that we can’t understand. Of course there may be some nervous horses who have been hurt or frightened when they were young, who may be the better for them; but as I never was nervous, I can’t judge.”

“I consider,” said Sir Oliver, “that blinkers are dangerous things in the night; we horses can see much better in the dark than men can, and many an accident would never have happened if horses might have had the full use of their eyes. Some years ago, I remember, there was a hearse with two horses returning one dark night, and just by Farmer Sparrow’s house, where the pond is close to the road, the wheels went too near the edge, and the hearse was overturned into the water; both the horses were drowned, and the driver hardly escaped. Of course after this accident a stout white rail was put up that might be easily seen, but if those horses had not been partly blinded, they would of themselves have kept further from the edge, and no accident would have happened. When our master’s carriage was overturned, before you came here, it was said that if the lamp on the left side had not gone out, John would have seen the great hole that the road-makers had left; and so he might, but if old Colin had not had blinkers on he would have seen it, lamp or no lamp, for he was far too knowing an old horse to run into danger. As it was, he was very much hurt, the carriage was broken, and how John escaped nobody knew.”

“I should say,” said Ginger, curling her nostril, “that these men, who are so wise, had better give orders that in the future all foals should be born with their eyes set just in the middle of their foreheads, instead of on the side; they always think they can improve upon nature and mend what God has made.”

Things were getting rather sore again, when Merrylegs held up his knowing little face and said, “I’ll tell you a secret: I believe John does not approve of blinkers; I heard him talking with master about it one day. The master said that ‘if horses had been used to them, it might be dangerous in some cases to leave them off’; and John said he thought it would be a good thing if all colts were broken in without blinkers, as was the case in some foreign countries.

A Victorian Englishwoman suggesting that things might be done better abroad...... whatever next. They'll want votes next, and to interfere in man's work, horsemanship.