The Horse Dealers Daughter is a story about dominance and control. By the end of this story the two main characters have moved very little from the places they started. Their unity serves only to strengthen and instill their addictions. Love honor and obey were the old words used in marriage ceremonies when the woman was pledging her vows to a man. This statement conjures up thoughts of subservience and control, which are good words to describe the way Mabel and Dr. Fergusson's marriage would have gone. .
The easily over looked aspect of this story is that the events that take place are not influenced by external factors but internal ones; those being submission and domination. In looking at this plot from a purely external perspective we see a romantic theme; a woman oppressed by three manipulative siblings released by love when saved by a romantic prince type figure. In looking deeper at what the imagery and subtle characterization say about these people this we see that their actions are more complex and egocentric than the Cinderella story that a quick reading might elude to. From the beginning of the story we see Mabel as the silent servant to her siblings. Lawrence paints Mabel as a woman being controlled by her brothers. He uses heavy animal imagery in this beginning portion. He describes the actions of some of the brothers as horse like, and their feelings as animalistic. But specifically he describes Mabel as a girl that could have been good-looking, save for the impressive fixity of her face, bull-dog, as her brothers called it. His description of Mabel as bull-dog face is the linking point to the dog being a representation of her. We see the way the family talks to her when Joe talks to the dog as he feeds it from the table. You won't get much more bacon, shall you, you little b----? The dog faintly and dismally wagged its tail, then lowered its haunches, circled round, and lay down again.