Black Beauty

Black Beauty

This novel is considered to be one of the first English novels to be written from the perspective of non-human. It is an autobiographical memoir of a horse named Black Beauty beginning with his carefree days with his mother as a foal on an English farm, to the hardships of pulling cabs in central London and finally to his happy retirement in the country.

Black Beauty encounters many situations of cruelty as well as kindness and in each chapter there is a life lesson that relates to kindness, sympathy and treatment of animals.

With detailed observations and extensive descriptions of horse behaviour this book was very influential in stopping cruel practices involving animals and led to the beginning of the animal welfare movement.

Sewell originally wrote it for those who worked with horses. She said "a special aim was to induce kindness, sympathy, and an understanding treatment of horses". In many respects the book can be read as a guide to horse husbandry, stable management and humane training practices for colts.

 It is considered to have had an effect on reducing cruelty to horses, for example halting the use of bearing reins which feature in the novel and are very painful for horses.

Not only a novel for children, this story makes us look at how we live and whom we inadvertently harm. A must read.

Black Beauty

"...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!"

"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."

"Give me the handling of a horse for twenty minutes, and I'll tell you what sort of a groom he has had. Look at this one, pleasant, quiet, turns about just as you want him, holds up his feet to be cleaned out, or anything else you please to wish; then you'll find another fidgety, fretty, won't move the right way, or starts across the stall, tosses up his head as soon as you come near him, lays his ears, and seems afraid of you; or else squares about at you with his heels. Poor things! I know what sort of treatment they have had." 

Anna Sewell - Black Beauty