Background and themes
Treatment of horses: Society was unequal in nineteenth
century England, and great poverty existed alongside
the wealth of the aristocracy and the middle classes. The
Industrial Revolution led to the growth of towns and cities
as the rural population moved into urban slums to work in
the factories and mills owned by wealthy families. Horses
played a vital role at this time.
Horses worked in coalmines, pulled barges along canals,
ploughed fields and also provided transportation.
However, they were often mistreated. They were beaten by
their owners and made to pull over-loaded wagons. Many
died of exhaustion where they stood in their harnesses.
There were also some very cruel fashions, including the
‘docking’ (cutting short) of the horse’s tail to improve its
appearance.
This was extremely painful for the horse and prevented
them from swatting flies away, causing them to be stung
and bitten.
There was also the bearing rein, which was used to pull
the horse’s head in towards the chest in order to give a
noticeable arch to the neck. This was considered to be a
very desirable look, much sought after in carriage horses,
but it meant that the animal was unable to breathe
properly and would later develop respiratory problems.
The method also meant that horses were unable to look
from side to side and found it difficult to pull their loads
properly. In Black Beauty this mistreatment of horses
is vividly portrayed and the text eventually led to the
abolishment of the bearing rein.