Black Beauty Man and the Natural World Quotes

One of Beauty's first encounters with the harmful treatment of animals comes in only the second chapter of the book, when he's a young colt. He and his mother witness men riding in a hunt in which a man and his horse are killed. Beauty's mom says she could never figure out the appeal of the sport, when the risk is so great. By showing us this tragedy in the opening chapters, Sewell immediately makes us think about this senseless loss of life and what it says about the relationship between men and horses.

This book can almost be like an instruction manual for how to care for a horse, and Beauty's description of Farmer Grey's kind, gentle break-in is a great example of that. Beauty seems to know that he's telling his story to humans, and wants to make sure that we understand how important it is to treat horses well when they're young.

Here's something Beauty wants you to understand: A horse pays attention to how you treat him. John Manly's careful, attentive grooming is much appreciated here. If you were a horse, wouldn't you want to be treated this way? In the relationship between humans and horses, empathy is the key.

Over and over, Black Beauty shows us the good and bad of animal treatment—and here's more of the bad. While some men have empathy toward the animals they raise, some don't. Ginger tells the story of her childhood to Beauty, and while Beauty was raised by a kind farmer, Ginger wasn't so lucky. She describes how miserable it was to grow up under the care of men who only cared about her obedience, and not her well-being. Because of this, she doesn't trust men. In her situation, who would?

Squire Gordon and his horse-loving staff at Birtwick Park have a recipe for how to care for any horse, and it's this kind treatment that causes Ginger's snappish, distrustful temperament to improve. Here's another example of how people should treat animals—we're sure Beauty hopes you're paying attention.

It doesn't get much simpler than this: "Good places make good horses." This isn't rocket science, folks. Treat animals well, and they'll love you forever. Treat them badly, and everyone suffers.

Here, the old Birtwick horse, Sir Oliver, is describing the abuse many animals suffer in the name of fashion. He's had his own tail docked for fashion, a painful, bloody experience, and here he also describes how he's seen puppies have their ears cut for appearance's sake. He questions what right humans have to abuse animals just for their own whims, and wonders why humans don't do the same to their own kids. Animals and humans are all God's creatures, according to Sir Oliver.

Beauty talks a lot about the close relationships he has with some of the humans in his life. One of the people he's closest to is cabbie Jerry Barker, who has an amazing knack for being totally in tune with his horse. The concept of trust is something Beauty wants us to remember: One of the best things in a relationship between human and horse is a profound sense of trust. Here, Beauty learns not to fear the chaotic environment of urban London because he deeply trusts Jerry Barker.

Another example of the wonderful side of human-animal relations: When people and animals share an understanding, fantastic things can happen. They can both accomplish things that they could never do without the other; it's symbiosis at its best. And notice how Sewell says they're "of one mind." That's an incredibly close relationship—and it's entirely possible, if humans spend time trying to understand their animals.

Sewell makes sure to point out that poverty and hardship are not excuses for mistreating animals. Here, describing the life of a working horse in Victorian London, Beauty notes that even hard-working horses can be cheerful if their humans treat them kindly.