The coachman (a man who drives a carriage) was named John Manly. He lived in a small house near the stables with his wife and child. The next morning, John Manly cleaned my coat until it was soft and bright. Squire Gordon came into the stable to look at me. He seemed very pleased.
“John,” the Squire said, “I have other business today. Please take the new horse out after breakfast. Ride him by the river and the woods. I want to see how he moves.” John Manly agreed.
After breakfast, John Manly put a bridle (leather straps on a horse's head) on me. He made sure the straps were comfortable. Then he brought a saddle (a leather seat for the rider). The first saddle was too small, so John Manly found a better one. He rode me slowly at first, then faster.
When we reached the open field, we had a wonderful gallop. “Ho, ho! my boy,” John Manly said. He was very happy with me. We met Squire Gordon and his wife in the park. John Manly jumped off my back to talk to them.
“How does he go, John?” the Squire asked. “He is very fast, sir,” John Manly answered. “He is a very good horse. He is not afraid of anything. We saw a loud cart and heard a gun, but he stayed very quiet. I think people were kind to him when he was young.”
The next day, Squire Gordon rode me himself. I remembered my mother’s advice. I tried to do exactly what the Squire wanted. He was a very good rider. When we came home, his wife was at the door. “How do you like him?” she asked.
“He is a wonderful horse,” the Squire said. “What shall we call him?” His wife thought of many names. Finally, she said, “He is a beauty and he is black. Let us call him Black Beauty.” The Squire liked that name very much.
John Manly told James that my name was Black Beauty. James said I looked like a horse named Rob Roy. John Manly said that was not a surprise. My mother, Duchess, was also the mother of Rob Roy. I was sad to hear this. Rob Roy was my brother, and he died in the hunt.
John Manly was very proud of me. He was very gentle when he cleaned me. I grew very fond of John Manly. He knew exactly how a horse feels. He was always careful and kind. James Howard was also very pleasant. I felt very lucky to live there.
A few days later, I pulled a carriage with Ginger. She behaved very well and worked hard. When we reached a hill, she pulled with all her strength. We both worked well together. John Manly never used a whip on us. Soon, Ginger and I became friends.
I also became great friends with Merrylegs. He was always happy and everyone liked him. Two other horses lived in another stable. One was a strong horse named Justice. The other was an old horse named Sir Oliver.
Sir Oliver was too old to work hard now. He was very gentle. Sometimes I talked to the other horses in the field. But I spent the most time with Ginger because we lived in the same stable.