THE PADDING OF HORSES AT BULL FIGHTS
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—Confirmation comes to me from Spain of your footnote to the letter on the live-horse export trade in the issue of April 21st. A friend living there, to whom I last year put some questions about the proposed armour protection, now writes : " The padding is now a fact, but I haven't yet gathered that it is a real advantage to the horse. I don't believe the suffering of the animals was considered in the least.
" I think people were beginning to realize that the killing of horses by the bull was a disgusting sight. I have lately spoken to two educated people about it, both lovers of the sport and one a Jesuit, • and of each the one thought was ` We shall be spared the rather disagreeable sight of dis- embowelled horses,' the feelings of the animals being outside the question altogether. .
"The horses still get thrown about, still are absolutely terrified, and I have just learnt that two had to be killed after a show- because of their injuries. The others are used time after time until they become quite useless or' get killed in the ring."
And so, though we in England mostly confine our hanting and coursing and shooting and general infliction of suffering to week-days, resting from our labours on Sundays, we can now be certain that God's animals will be . butchered on Sunday afternoons in Spain, from April to October, with but slight diminution in their torture from this so-called " reform."—I am, Sir, &c.,
81 Collingham Road, S.W. 5.
HOWARD BLISS.
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