STORIES OP
MAN AND HIS BEST FEIEND.

BLACKIB & SON, 49 OLD BAILEY, E.C^
OLASGOW, EDINBURGH. AND DUBLIN

Page
The Courage of the Horse,.........5

The Friendships of Horses,......... 17

The Docility of the Horse,......... 29

Sagacity of the Horse,.......... 42

Power of Memory in the Horse, ....... 57

THE HOESE AND HIS WAYS.

THE COURAGE OF THE HOESE.

j/^OURAGE and unshrinking firmness have
<§^ ever been attributes of the horse. The
J magnificent description given in the Book
of Job must be familiar to every one:�

" Hast thou given the horse strength ? hast
thou clothed his neck with thunder? canst
thou make him afraid as a grasshopper?�the
glory of his strength is terrible. He paweth
in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength; he
goeth on to meet the armed men. He mocketh
at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth
he back from the sword; the quiver rattleth
against him�the glittering spear and the
shield. He swalloweth the ground with

6 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS.

fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that
it is the sound of the trumpet. He saith
among the trumpets, Ha! ha! and he smelleth
the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains,
and the shouting."

It is asserted that horses with a broad after-
head, and the ears far asunder, are naturally
bolder than those whose head is narrow above
the forelock. This assertion is in all prob-
ability correct, for there is no reason why
cerebral development should not influence the
character of a horse as well as that of a man;
but much, of course, depends upon judicious
training. Some horses, says an intelligent
writer on the subject, habituated to war, will
drop their head, pick at grass in the midst of
fire, smoke, and the roar of cannon; others
never entirely cast off their natural timidity.
We have witnessed them groaning, he continues,
or endeavouring to lie down when they found
escape impossible, at the fearful sound of shot,

THE COURAGE OF THE HORSE. 7

shrapnell-shell and rockets; and it was painful
to witness their look of terror in battle, and to
hear their groans upon being wounded. Yet
many of the terrified animals, when let loose
at a charge, dash forward in a kind of des-
peration that makes it difficult to hold them
in hand; and we recollect, at a charge in 1794
�when the light dragoon horse was heavier
than at present, and the French were
wretchedly mounted�a party of British
bursting through a hostile squadron as
they would have passed through a fence
of rushes,

The horse, though naturally afraid of the
lion, tiger, and other feline animals, has often
sufficient confidence in a firm rider and his
own courage to overcome this timidity, and to
join in the attack. This was conspicuously
evinced in the case of an Arab horse which
once belonged to Sir Robert Gillespie. This
distinguished officer being present on the

8 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS.

race-course of Calcutta during one of the great
Hindoo festivals, when many thousands are
assembled to witness all kinds of shows, was
suddenly alarmed by the shrieks and commo-
tion of the crowd. On being informed that
a tiger had escaped from his keepers he
immediately called for his horse, and grasping
a boar-spear from one of the bystanders, rode
to attack this formidable enemy. The tiger,
probably, was amazed at finding himself in
the midst of such a number of shrieking
beings flying from him in all directions; but
the moment he perceived Sir Robert, he
crouched in the attitude of preparing to spring
at him, and at that instant the gallant soldier
passed his horse in a leap over the tiger's
back, and struck the spear through his spine.
Here, instead of swerving, the noble animal
went right over his formidable enemy with a
firmness that enabled the rider to use his
lance with precision. This steed was a small

THE COURAGE OF THE HORSE. 9

gray, and was afterwards sent to England as
a present to the Prince Regent.

As may readily be supposed, the intrepidity
of the horse is often of signal service in the
cause of humanity, commanding at once our
esteem and admiration. The following instance
is worthy of record:�

"I should have found it difficult to give
credit to the following incident," related a
gentleman who was told by those who
witnessed it, "had it not happened the
evening before my arrival, and if, besides the
public notoriety of the fact, I had not been an
eye-witness of those vehement emotions of
sympathy, blended with admiration, which it
had justly excited in the mind of every
individual at the Cape of Good Hope. A
violent gale of wind setting in from north-
north-west, a vessel in the road dragged

10 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS.

her anchors, was forced on the rocks, and
bulged, and while a greater part of the crew
fell an immediate sacrifice to the waves, the
remainder were seen from the shore struggling
for their lives, by clinging to the different
pieces of the wreck. The sea ran dreadfully
high, and broke over the sailors with such
amazing fury that no boat whatever could
venture off to their assistance. Meanwhile a
planter, considerably advanced in life, had
come from his farm to be a spectator of the
wreck. His heart was melted at the sight of
the unhappy seamen, and knowing the bold
and enterprising spirit of his horse, and
his particular excellence as a swimmer, he
instantly determined to make a desperate
effort for their deliverance. He alighted,
and blew a little brandy into his horse's
nostrils, when again seating himself in the
saddle he instantly pushed into the midst of
the breakers. At first both disappeared; but

THE COURAGE OF THE HORSE. 11

it was not long before they floated on the
surface, and swam up to the wreck, when
taking with him two men, each of whom
held by one of his boots, he brought them
safe to shore. This perilous expedition he
repeated no seldomer than seven times, and
saved fourteen lives; but on his return the
eighth time, his horse being much fatigued,
and meeting a most formidable wave, he lost
his balance and was overwhelmed in a
moment. The horse swam safely to land;
but his gallant rider, alas! was no more."

--------------. ^

When General Sir Kobert Gillespie fell at
the storming of Kalunga, his favourite black
charger, bred at the Cape of Good Hope, and
carried by him to India, was, at the sale of
his effects, competed for by several of the
officers of his division, and finally knocked
down to the privates of the 8th dragoons,

12 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS.

who contributed their prize-money, to the
amount of �500 sterling, to retain this com-
memoration of their late commander. Thus
the charger was always led at the head of the
regiment on a march, and at the station of
Cawnpore was usually indulged with taking
his ancient place at the colour-stand, where
the salute of passing squadrons was given at
drill and on reviews. When the regiment
was ordered home, the funds of the privates
running low, he was bought for the same sum
by a gentleman, who provided funds and a
paddock for him where he might end his days
in comfort. But when the corps had marched,
and the sound of the trumpet had departed,
he refused to eat; and on the first opportunity,
being led out to exercise, he broke from his
groom, and galloping to his ancient station on
the parade, after neighing aloud, dropped down
and died.

THE COURAGE OF THE HORSE. 13

During the Peninsular War the trumpeter
of a French cavalry corps had a fine charger
assigned to him, of which he became passion-
ately fond, and which by gentleness of dis-
position and uniform docility equally evinced
its affection. The sound of the trumpeter's
voice, the sio'ht of his uniform, or the twang
of his trumpet, was sufficient to throw this
animal into a state of excitement; and he
appeared to be pleased and happy only when
under the saddle of his rider. Indeed he was
unruly and useless to everybody else; for once
on being removed to another part of the forces,
and consigned to a young officer, he resolutely
refused to perform his evolutions, and bolted
to the trumpeter's station, and there took his
stand, jostling alongside his former master.
This animal, on beino- restored to the trum-
peter, carried him, during several of the Penin-
sular campaigns, through many difficulties and
hair-breadth escapes. At last the corps to

14 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS.

which he belonged was worsted, and in the
confusion of retreat the trumpeter was mor-..
tally wounded. Dropping from his horse, his
body was found many days after the engage-
ment stretched on the sward, with the faithful
charger standing beside it. During the long
interval it seems that he had never quitted the
trumpeter's side, but had stood sentinel over
his body, scaring away the birds of prey, and
remaining totally heedless of his own priva-
tions. When found, he was in a sadly reduced
condition, partly through loss of blood from
wounds, but chiefly from want of food, of
which in the excess of his grief he could not
be prevailed on to partake.

During that destructive war which for a
space of thirty years desolated Germany, and
which was terminated by the peace of West-
phalia, the carriers who conducted the inland

THE COURAGE OF THE HOUSE. 15

traffic of the country used to unite themselves
in large companies in order that they might
travel with greater security, and for their
mutual defence against the marauding parties
which infested every part of the empire.

One of these carriers happened to possess a
horse of an extremely vicious disposition. It
was greatly addicted to biting and kicking,
from which not even its master was always
secure, and which often embroiled him with
his fellow-travellers. One evening while they
were pursuing their journey the party was
attacked in a ravine by a band of hungry
wolves, and after a long contest, finding they
should not be able to get quit of them without
allowing them some prey, it was agreed that
they shoidd pay the owner of the vicious horse
the price of the animal and make a sacrifice to
the wolves. The bargain was soon concluded,
and on the horse being turned loose the wolves
immediately attacked him. He, however, de-

16 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS.

fended himself courageously with his teeth and
heels, retreating at the same time into the in-
terior of the forest, while the carriers availed
themselves of the opportunity to hasten to a
place of security, not a little rejoiced at having
got rid of troublesome companions so much to
their advantage.

As they were sitting at supper in the inn
where they usually slept for the night a
knocking was heard at the house door, and on
its being opened a horse pushed his head in.
The girl, frightened, shrieked out, and called
to the carriers, who, coming to her assistance,
were no less surprised than rejoiced to see the
heroic conqueror of the wolves, though much
wounded, still faithful to his master; and, on
account of his meritorious conduct upon this
occasion, they agreed to forgive him his former
misdemeanours and retain him in their com-
pany.

THE FRIENDSHIPS OF HORSES.

J|HE friendships of horses are sometimes
|p|J as incongruous as are the friendships
2 of man. Animals of entirely different
species occasionally associate with and love
each other; and the very opposition of char-
acter now and then constitutes the bond of
friendship. Duncannon, a famous horse,
formed an intense friendship with a sheep.
He would lift it into the manger to share his
fodder, and would suffer no one to offer it the
slightest molestation. Chillaby, the mad Ara-
bian, whom only one groom dared to approach,
had also his peculiar attachment for a lamb;
and the little protege used to employ itself
during many an hour in pawing away the
flies from his nobler friend. The Darley
Arabian imbibed a friendship for a cat, which

18 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS.

sat upon his back, or nestled as closely to him
as she could; and when he died she pined
away and died also.

A farmer's boy had fed and taken great
care of a colt. He was working one day in
the field, when he was furiously pursued by
a vicious bull. The boy ran to a ditch, and
got into it just as the bull was close upon him.
The furious beast endeavoured to gore him,
and would probably have succeeded had not
the colt come to his assistance. This little
animal attacked the bull, screaming with rage
as he did so, when some labourers who were
working near the place, hearing the strange
outcry, ran to see what was the matter, and
extricated the boy from danger.

A. gentleman of Bristol had a greyhound,

THE FRIENDSHIPS OF HORSES. 19

which slept in the stable along with a very
fine hunter of about five years of age. These
animals became mutually attached, and re-
garded each other with the most tender
affection. The greyhound always lay under
the manger beside the horse, which was so
fond of him that he became unhappy and
restless when the dog was out of his sight.
It was a common practice with the gentleman
to whom they belonged to call at the stable
for the greyhound to accompany him in his
walk. On such occasions the horse would
look over his shoulder at the dog with much
anxiety, and neigh in a manner which plainly
said:

" Let me also accompany you."

When the dog returned to the stable, he was
always welcomed by a loud neigh. He ran up
to the horse and licked his nose; in return the
horse would scratch the dog's back with his
teeth. One day when the groom was out

20 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS.

with the horse and greyhound for exercise, a
large dog attacked the latter and quickly bore
him to the ground; on which the horse threw
back his ears, and, in spite of all the efforts of
the groom, rushed at the strange dog that was
struggling with the greyhound, seized him by
the back with his teeth which speedily made
him quit his hold, and shook him till a large
piece of skin gave way. The offender no
sooner got on his feet than he judged it pru-
dent to beat a precipitate retreat from so for-
midable an opponent.

A gentleman in Buckinghamshire had once
in his possession a three-year-old colt, a dog,
and three sheep, which were his constant
attendants in all his walks. When the
parlour window, which looked into the field,
happened to 1 e open, the colt had often been
known to leap through it, go up and caress

THE FRIENDSHIPS OF HORSES. 21

his master, and then leap back to his pasture.
We have ourselves, says Chambers, often
witnessed similar signs of affection on the
part of an old Shetland pony, which would
place its fore-foot in the hand of its young
master like a dog, thrust its head under his
arm to be caressed, and join with him and a
little terrier dog in all their noisy rompings
on the lawn. The same animal daily bore its
master to school, and though its heels and
teeth were always ready for every aggressive
urchin, yet so attached was it to this boy
that it would wait hours for him in his sports
by the way, and even walk alone from the
stable to the school-house, which was fully
half-a-mile distant, and wait saddled and
bridled for the afternoon's dismissal. Indeed,
the young scapegrace did not deserve one-
tenth of this attention, for we have often seen
old "Donald" toiling homeward with its young
master at a gallop, to make up for time lost

22 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS.

at play, and enable him to be at home when
dinner was on the table.

A blacksmith in one of the remote parishes
of Scotland, on one occasion, purchased a
lamb of the black-faced breed from a shepherd
who was passing through his village with a
large flock. The lamb was so extremely wild
that it was with great difficulty it could be
separated from its fleecy companions. The
smith put it into his field, in company with a
cow and a little white Galloway pony. It
soon began to exhibit indications of fondness
for the latter, which, not insensible to such
tender approaches, showed by its conduct that
the attachment was reciprocal. They soon
became inseparable companions; whether the
pony was engaged in the labours of the field, or
in bearing his master to church or market, the
lamb invariably accompanied him. Such a

THE FRIENDSHIPS OF HORSES. 23

spectacle soon excited a great deal of attention;
and when likely to be too closely beset, the
lamb would take refuge between the legs of
the pony, and gaze about it with a look of
conscious security. At night it regularly
repaired to the stable, and reposed under the
manger at the head of its friend. When
the two animals were separated, which only
happened when effected by force, the lamb
would raise the most plaintive bleatings, to
which the pony responded with a sympathiz-
ing neigh.

On one occasion they both strayed into an
adjoining field, in which there was a flock of
sheep; the lamb joined them, at a short
distance from the pony, but as soon as their
owner removed him, it quickly followed with-
out casting even a look behind it. Another
instance of a similar character happened when
the pony was driven through a flock of sheep,
accompanied, as usual, by his friend, which

24 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS.

followed, without showing the least inclination
to remain with its natural companions.

" Even great disparity of mind," says White,
in his Natural History of Selborne, "does not
always prevent social advances and mutual
fellowship; for a very intelligent and observ-
ant person has assured me, that in the former
part of his life, keeping but one horse, he
happened also once on a time to have but one
solitary hen. These two incongruous animals
spent much of their time together in a lonely
orchard, where they saw no creature but each
other. By degrees an apparent regard began
to take place between these two sequestered
individuals. The fowl would approach the
quadruped with notes of complacency, rubbing
herself quietly against his legs, while the
horse would look down with satisfaction,
and move with the greatest caution and cir-

THE FRIENDSHIPS OF HORSES. 25

cumspection, lest he should trample on his
diminutive companion. Thus, by mutual good
offices, each seemed to console the vacant hours
of the other; so that Milton, when he puts
the following sentiment in the mouth of
Adam, seems somewhat mistaken:

'Much less can bird with beast, or fish with fowl
So well converse, nor with the ox the ape."^-'

The last instance of a peculiar friendship on
the part of a horse which we shall refer to at
present is so extraordinary, that, were it not
well authenticated, it might be looked upon
with suspicion. Dr. Smith, of the Queen's
County Militia, Ireland, had a beautiful
hackney, which, though extremely spirited,
was at the same time wonderfully docile.
He had also a fine Newfoundland dog
named Ctesar. These animals were mutually
attached, and seemed perfectly acquainted

26 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS.

with each other's actions. The dog was
always kept in the stable at night, and
generally lay beside the horse. When Dr.
Smith practised in Dublin, he visited his
patients on horseback, and had no other
servant to take care of the horse, while in
their houses, but Csesar, to whom he gave the
reins in his mouth. The horse stood very
quietly, even in that crowded city, beside his
canine friend. When it happened that the
doctor had a patient not far distant from the
place where he paid his last visit, he did not
think it worth his while to remount, but
called to his horse and Caesar. They both
instantly obeyed, and remained quietly
opposite the door where he entered until he
came out again. The horse seemed to be as
implicitly obedient to his friend Csesar as he
could possibly be to his groom.

The doctor would go to the stable, accom-
panied by his dog, put the bridle upon his

THE FRIENDSHIPS OF HORSES. 27

horse, and giving the reins to Caesar, bid him
take the horse to the water. They both
understood what was to be done, when off
trotted Caesar, followed by the horse, which
frisked, capered, and played with the dog all
the way to the rivulet, about three hundred
yards distant from the stable. They invariably
went straight to the stream, and after the horse
had quenched his thirst, both returned in the
same playful manner as they had gone out.

The doctor frequently desired Caesar to
make the horse leap over this stream, which
might be about five or six feet broad. The
dog, by a kind of bark, and leaping up towards
the horse's head, intimated to him what he
wanted, which was quickly understood; and
he cantered off, preceded by Cassar, and took
the leap in a neat and regular style. The dog
was then desired to bring him back again,
and it was speedily done in the same manner.
On one occasion Caesar lost hold of the reins,

28 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS.

and as soon as the horse cleared the leap he
immediately trotted up to his canine guide,
who took hold of the bridle and led him back
through the water quietly.

THE DOCILITY OF THE HORSE.

HE horse is distinguished by the remark-
able extent to which the docility that
�tt⁵ is m his common character has been
sometimes cultivated. The labour and ingen-
uity expended by public performers and
trainers to teach the animal feats of agility
and imitation have been abundantly rewarded,
and the intelligent actions of highly trained
steeds, performed in accordance to the wishes
of their master, frequently afford pleasure and
instruction. Furnished with acute senses, an
excellent memory, high intelligence, and gentle
disposition, he soon learns to know and to
obey his master's will, and to perform certain
actions with astonishing accuracy and pre-
cision. The range of his performances, how-
ever, is limited by his physical conformation.

30 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS.

He has not a hand to grasp, a proboscis to lift
the minutest object, nor the advantages of a
light and agile frame; if he had, the monkey,
the dog, and the elephant would in this
respect be all far behind him. The following
anecdotes will afford ample illustration of
this.

One of the earliest equine actors in this
country was Banks's celebrated horse "Mor-
occo," alluded to by Shakspere in Love's
Labour Lost, and by other writers of that
time. It is stated of this animal that he
would restore a glove to its owner after his
master had whispered the man's name in his
ear, and that he would tell the number of
pence in any silver coin. He danced likewise
to the sound of a pipe, and told money with
his feet. Sir Walter Raleigh quaintly remarks,
"that had Banks lived in older times, he

THE DOCILITY OF THE HORSE. 31

would have shamed all the enchanters in the
world; for whosoever was most famous among
them could never master nor instruct any
beast as he did his horse."

A French writer makes mention of several
surprising feats performed by a small horse at
the fair of St. Germains in 1732. Among
others which he accomplished with astonishing
precision, he could specify, by striking his
foot so many times on the ground, the number
of marks upon a card which any person
present had drawn out of a pack. He could
also tell the hour and minute to which the
hands of a watch pointed in a similar manner.
His master collected a number of coins from
different persons in the company, mixed them
together, and threw them to the horse in a
handkerchief. The animal took it in his
mouth, and delivered to each person his own

32 THE HOESE AND HIS WAYS.

piece of money. What is still more wonderful,
considering his size, weight, and peculiarity of
construction, the horse had heen known to
pass along the tight-rope.

Mr. Astley, the son of the famous proprietor
of "Astley's Amphitheatre," at Westminster
Bridge, had once in his possession a remark-
ably fine Barbary horse, forty-three years of
age, which was presented to him by the Duke
of Leeds. This celebrated animal for a number
of years officiated in the character of a waiter
in the course of the performances at the
Amphitheatre, and at various other theatres in
the United Kingdjm. At the request of his
master, he would ungirth his own saddle,
wash his feet in a pail of water, and would
also bring into the riding-school a tea-table
and its appendages, which feat was usually
followed up by fetching a chair, or stool, or

THE DOCILITY OF THE HORSE. 33

whatever might be wanted. His achievements
were generally wound up by his taking a
kettle of boiling water from a blazing fire, to
the wonder and admiration of the spectators.

An author, who wrote about the cleverness
of horses when properly trained, stated that
he had seen one that danced to music, and
which, at the command of his master, affected
to be lame, feigned death, lay motionless,
with his limbs extended, and allowed himself
to be dragged about till some words were
pronounced, when he instantly sprang to his
feet. Feats of this kind are now common
enough in the circus and hippodrome.

The horse referred to above was the pro-
perty of the famous equestrian Ducrow; and
a writer in a popular journal thus described

34 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS.

the performance of the animal and its master:�
"The horse," he said "was a beautiful piebald,
perfect almost in mould, and adorned about
the neck with little bells. At first it playfully
and triekishly avoids its master when he
affects an anxiety to catch it; but when the
muleteer averts his head and assumes the
appearance of sullenness, the animal at once
stops and comes up close to his side, as if very
penitent for its untimely sportiveness. Its
master is pacified, and after caressing it a
little he touches the animal's fore-legs. It
stretches them out, and, in doing so, neces-
sarily causes the hind-legs to project also.
We now see the purpose of these movements.
The muleteer wishes a seat, and an excellent
one he finds upon the horse's protruded hind-
legs. A variety of instances of docility
similar to this are exhibited by the horse
in succession, but its leaping feats appear to us
to be the most wonderful of all. Poles are

^m........mp...... ip

THE DOCILITY OF THE HORSE. 35

brought into the ring, and the horse clears six
of these, one after the other, with a distance
of not more than four feet between them.
After it has done this, it goes up limping to
its master, as if to say, ' See, I can do no more
to-night.' The muleteer lifts the lame foot,
and seems to search for the cause of the halt,
but in vain. Still, however, the horse goes on
limping. The muleteer then looks in his
face, and shakes his head, as if he would
say, 'Ah! you are shamming, you rogue, are
you not?' And a sham it proves to be; for,
at a touch of the whip, the creature bounds off
like a fawn, sound both in wind and limb."

Mr. C. W. Montague, an equestrian manager
of great experience and intelligence, narrates
the following incidents in Chambers's Jour-
nal:�

I was once driving to Long Milford in

36 THE HORSE AND HIS WAY&

Suffolk at a spot where there was a bridge
leading over a river. As we approached the
bridge the horse pulled up and would not
move on again without whipping. For some
time I was at a loss how to account for this
freak; but it afterwards occurred to me that
the last time I had crossed that bridge and
with the same horse, I had pulled up at the
very spot to speak to a man I had met.

Unless there is a reason to the contrary, we
always prefer occupying the same field each
time we visit a town. Sometimes it happens
that the stud-groom, who is generally with the
first wagon, forgets which field it is. But by
giving the horse his head and leaving him to
himself, he will most certainly pull up at the
right gate. The groom never finds him to be
wrong, and drives straight in.

Once when in Southampton I had to pass
up the High Street daily, and had a different
horse almost every day. Whichever horse

THE DOCILITY OF THE HORSE. 37

I rode he would slacken speed at the Star
Hotel and want to turn into the yard. Upon
mentioning this to the stud-groom, he explained
that five years previously, when the circus
was in Southampton, the stud had been
stabled at the Star, and the horses had not
forgotten the place again.

I have my opinion, writes Mr. Montague,
founded upon close and varied observation,
that horses can and do convey to each
other very exact intelligence by the various
sounds they produce, from the proud, sonor-
ous neighings of a full-spirited horse, down
to the winnings and snortings and other
little sounds with which all keepers of
horses are familiar. Once, in a long stable
containing twenty stalls in a row, a horse
at the one end was dying. Near the other
end was a horse of a timid disposition, which

38 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS.

showed marked signs of dread and extreme
nervousness, as though conscious of what was
going on; trembling from head to foot, and
streaming with perspiration. I feel convinced
that intelligence of what was passing had
reached this horse, and that being of a ner-
vous temperament, the poor animal had been
troubled to the painful extent we had wit-
nessed.

Another example of a different kind. It
often happened that I was away from the
company for weeks and months at a stretch;
and on some of these occasions I had to return
along the road by which the circus was coming,
thus meeting the vans one after the other all
down the line. When yet there was some
distance between myself and the nearest van,
my horse would scent, or see the head van-
horse and salute him with a loud neigh.
This would be at once answered by the van-
horse which seemed to pass the signal to the

THE DOCILITY OF THE HOUSE. 39

rear down the line, where it was taken up
from horse to horse to the very end, perhaps
three-quarters of a mile away. Then as I
rapidly drove up and met the vans, each horse
would turn towards mine as he passed, greet-
ing him with a friendly and joyous neigh;
apparently holding a short conversation in
passing, as though welcoming each other after
a separation. For it must be noted that it
was only after long absence that such demon-
strations took place.

A horse in the cavalry depot at Woolwich
had proved so unmanageable to the "rough-
riders," that at length no one amongst them
dared even to mount him. His method of
throwing or dismounting his rider consisted
in lying down and rolling over him, or else
crushing his leg against some wall, post, or
paling. All means to break him of these

40 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS.

dangerous tricks proving unavailing, the
animal was one day brought before the
commanding officer, with the character of
being " incurably vicious," and with a re-
commendation on that account, that he should
be "cast" or sold out of the service. The colonel
of the regiment hearing of this, and knowing
the horse to be thoroughbred, and one of the
best actioned and cleverest horses in the
regiment, besought the commanding officer
to permit him to be transferred into the
riding troop.

This was consented to, and the transfer
was no sooner accomplished than the colonel
determined to pursue a system of management
directly opposite to that which had been
already attempted. He had him led daily
into the riding-school�suffered no whip ever
to be showed to him while there, but patted
him and tried to make him execute this and
the other manoeuvre; and as often as he

THE DOCILITY OF THE HORSE. 41

proved obedient rewarded him with a hand-
ful of corn or beans or a piece of bread, with
which bribes his pockets were invariably well
supplied. In this manner, and in no great
space of time, was the rebel not only subdued
and tamed, but rendered so perfectly docile
and quiet that a little child could ride him.
At length he was also taught to kneel down
when his rider mounted, and to perform
various evolutions, dances, and tricks which
no other horse in the regiment could be
brought to do. In fine, so great a favourite
did he become, that the name of "The Darling"
was bestowed upon him by his master, and by
that appellation he soon became known to all
the regiment.

SAGACITY OF THE HORSE.

|gj||HE horse is inferior to none of the

ssfifes brute creation in sagacity and general

«� intelligence. In a state of nature, he is

cautious and watchful, and all his movements
and actions seem to be the result of reason,
aided by a power of communicating their
ideas to each other far superior to that of
most other animals. The neighings by which
they communicate terror, alarm, recognition,
fee., the various movements of the body, the
pawing of the ground, the motions of the ears,
and the expressions of countenance, seem
to be fully understood by each other. If
these points are well developed in their
natural state, it must be admitted that they
are strengthened and intensified in a domesti-
cated one; and in the following anecdotes we

SAGACITY OF THE HORSE.

have attempted to illustrate a few of the
more important directions in which this saga-
city is exhibited.

There is an interesting fact related of the
hero of Poland, indicative of his customary
practice of almsgiving. Wishing to convey a
present to a clerical friend he gave the com-
mission to a young man named Jelmer,
desiring him to take the horse he usually
rode. On his return the messenger informed
Kosciusko that he would never again ride his
horse, unless he gave him his purse at the
same time; and on the latter inquiring what
he meant, he replied:

" As soon as a poor man on the road takes
off his hat and asks for charity, the horse
immediately stands still, and will not stir
until something is bestowed upon the peti-
tioner; and as I had no money upon me, I

44 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS.

had to feign giving in order to satisfy the
horse and induce him to proceed."

A gentleman was one dark night riding
home through a wood, and had the mis-
fortune to strike his head against the branch
of a tree, and fell from his horse stunned by
the blow. The horse immediately returned
to the house which they had left, about a
mile distant. He found the door closed and
the family gone to bed. He pawed at the
door till one of them, hearing the noise, rose
and opened it, and to his surprise saw the
horse of his friend. No sooner was the door
opened than the horse turned round, and the
man suspecting there was something wrong,
followed the animal, which led him directly
to the spot where his master lay on the ground
in a fit.

SAGACITY OF THE HORSE. 45

A carter in Fifeshire had an old horse
which one day displayed a remarkable saga-
city. The carter having a large family, this
animal had got particularly intimate with the
children, and would on no account move when
they were playing among his feet, as if it
feared to do them an injury. On this occasion,
when dragging a loaded cart through a narrow
lane near the village, a young child happened
to be playing in the road, and would inevit-
ably have been crushed by the wheels had
it not been for the sagacity of the animal.
He carefully took it by the clothes with his
teeth, carried it for a few yards, and then
placed it on a bank by the wayside, moving
slowly all the while, and looking back, as if to
satisfy himself that the wheels of the cart had
cleared it. This animal was one of the most
intelligent of his kind, and performed his
duties with a steadiness and precision that
were perfectly surprising.

46 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS.

In 1828 a gentleman in Montgomeryshire
had a favourite pony, mare, and colt, that
grazed in a field adjoining the Severn. One
day the pony made her appearance in front of
the house, and, by clattering with her feet and
other noises, attracted attention. Observing
this a person went out, and she immediately
galloped off. The owner, hearing this, desired
that she should be followed; and all the gates
from the house to the field were found to
have been forced open. On reaching the
field, the pony was found looldng into the
water over the spot where the colt was lying
drowned.

A captain of the 14th Dragoons had a power-
ful charger which he had purchased at a very
low price, on account of an impetuous vicious-
ness, which had caused the death of one groom
and nearly that of another. The captain was

SAGACITY OF THE HORSE. 47

a kind of centaur rider, not to be thrown by
the most violent efforts, and of a temper for
gentleness that would effect a cure, if vice
were curable. After some very dangerous
combats with his horse the animal was sub-
dued, and became so attached that his master
could walk anywhere with him following like
a dog, and even ladies could mount him with
perfect safety. His master rode him during
.several campaigns in Spain; and on one occa-
sion, when in action horse and rider came
headlong to the ground, the animal making an
effort to spring up placed his forefoot on the
captain's breast, but immediately withdrawing
it, rose without hurting; him, or movins" tiU he
was remounted.

A blind coach-horse ran one of the stages on
the great north road for several years, and so
perfectly was he acquainted with all the halt-

48 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS.

ing-places, stables, and other matters, that he
was never found to commit a blunder. In his
duties he was no doubt greatly aided by hear-
ing and smell. He could never be driven past
his own stable; and at the sound of the coming
coach, he would turn out of his own accord
into the stable-yard. What was very remark-
able, so accurate was his knowledge of time
that though half a dozen coaches halted at the
same inn, yet he was never known to stir till
the sound of the "Ten o'clock" was heard in
the distance.

A supervisor of excise at Beauly in Inver-
ness-shire was one evening returning home
from a survey of Fort Augustus, and to save
a distance of some sixteen miles he took the
hill road from Drumnadrochit to Beauly. The
road was completely blocked up with, and
indiscernible amidst the waste of snow, so

SAGACITY OF THE HORSE. 49

that the officer soon lost all idea of his route.
In this dilemma he thought it best to trust to
his horse, and loosening the reins, allowed him
to choose his own course. The animal made
way, though slowly and cautiously, till coming
to a ravine near Glencouvent, when both horse
and rider suddenly disappeared in a snow-
wreath several fathoms deep. The officer on
recovering found himself nearly three yards
from the dangerous spot, with his faithful horse
standing over him and licking the snow from
his face. He was of opinion that the bridle had
been attached to his person. So completely,
however, had he lost all sense of consciousness,
that beyond the bare fact as stated he had no
knowledge of the means by which he had
made so striking and providential an escape.

There was an old horse, well known in the
pretty village of Rainford, and even for many

50 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS.

miles round, by the name of " Old Tommy."
This horse was famed not merely for his great
age, and long and valuable services, but more
especially for the tractableness of his disposi-
tion. His sagacity was particularly shown
on one occasion when he lost one of his shoes
in the pasture. Being aware of his loss, and
knowing, from long experience, the comfort of
good shoes, he lost no time, on the opening of
the gate, in repairing to his old friend the
blacksmith, who soon discovered and supplied
his want. He then made the best of his way
home, and prepared for the service of the
day.

Occasionally there is so much sagacity and
affection combined with the intrepidity of the
horse, that his conduct would do credit even
to the bravest human nature. He has been
known to swim to the assistance of a drowning

SAGACITY OF THE HOKSE.

creature, and this without any other impulse
than that of his own generous feelings. A
little girl, the daughter of a gentleman in
Warwickshire, playing on the banks of a
canal which runs through his grounds, had
the misfortune to fall in, and would in all
probability have been drowned, had not a
small pony, which had been long kept in the
family, plunged into the water and brought
the child safely ashore without the slightest
injury.

In the electorate of Hanover there is a small
island named Krontsand, which is surrounded
by two branches of the Elbe. As it affords
valuable pasture there is generally a number
of horses and cattle grazing upon it. It is,
however, liable to be overflowed at the time
of spring-tide, when the wind blows in a
direction opposite to the current, and thus

52 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS.

causes an accumulation of water which cannot
escape so quickly as when unopposed.

One day the water rose so rapidly that the
horses, which were grazing in the plain with
their young foals, suddenly found themselves
standing in the midst of deep water, upon
which they set up a loud neighing, and col-
lected themselves together on the highest part
of the island. In this assembly they seemed
to determine on the following prudent measure,
as the only means of saving their young foals.,
who were now standing in the water as high
as the belly, and in the execution of which
some old mares also took a principal part,
who cannot be supposed to have been in-
fluenced by any maternal solicitude for the
safety of their offspring. Every two horses
took a young foal between them, and pressing
their sides together, kept it wedged in, and
lifted up, quite above the surface of the water.

All the horned cattle which were on the

SAGACITY OF THE HOUSE. 53

island had already set themselves afloat, and
were swimming in regular columns towards
their home. But these noble steeds, with un-
daunted perseverance remained immovable
under their cherished burdens for the space of
six hours, till, the tide ebbing, the water sub-
sided, and the foals were at length placed out
of danger.

The inhabitants who had rowed to the place
in boats, saw with delight this singular man-
oeuvre, whereby their valuable foals were
preserved from a destruction otherwise inev-
itable, and every one who heard of the circum-
stance was pleased and astonished at the
sagacity of the horses.

A baronet, one of whose hunters had never
tired in the longest chase, once encouraged the
cruel thought of attempting completely to
fatigue him. After a long run, therefore, he

THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS.

dined and again mounting, rode furiously
among the hills. When brought to the stable,
his strength appeared exhausted, and he was
scarcely able to walk. The groom, possessed
of more feeling than his brutal master, could
not refrain from tears at the sight of so noble
an animal thus sunk down. The baronet some
time after entered the stable, when the horse
made a furious spring upon him, and, had not
the groom interfered, would soon have put it
out of the power of his master of ever again
misusing his animals.

A person near Boston, in America, was in the
habit, whenever he wished to catch his horse
in the field, of taking a quantity of corn in a
measure by way of bait. On calling to him,
the horse would come up and eat the corn,
while the bridle was put over his head. But
the owner having deceived the animal several

SAGACITY OF THE HORSE.

times, by calling him when he had no corn in
the measure, the horse at length began to
suspect the design; and coming up one day as
usual, on being called, looked into the measure,
and seeing it empty, turned round, raised
his hind-legs, and killed his master on the
spot.

A. horse belonging to a person in Glasgow
had been several times ill, and as often cured
by a farrier who lived at a short distance
from his master's residence. He had not,
however, been troubled with a recurrence of
his disease for a considerable time, till one
morning when he happened to be employed
at some distance from the farrier's place of
business. Arranged in a row with other
horses engaged in the same work, while the
carters were absent he left the cart, and,
unattended, went direct to the farrier's door.

56 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS.

As no one appeared with the horse, the farrier
immediately surmised that he had been seized
with his old complaint. He was soon con-
vinced of this by the animal lying down, and
showing, by every means in his power of
which he was capable, that he was in distress.
The farrier quickly administered the usual
dose, and sent him home to his master, who
had by that time sent persons in all directions

POWER OF MEMORY IN THE
HORSE.

*Y�jpOKSES have powerful memories. In the
e^Ma darkest nights they will find their way
home, although their rider or driver may
be totally at a loss which way to go, if they
have been only once over the road. They will
recognize their masters, or those who have
been their friends or foes, after a lapse of
years; and those that have been in the army,
although degraded to perform menial work,
will not hesitate, when they hear the sound of
the trumpet, or catch a sight of a brilliantly
clothed regiment, to rush forward into the
ranks, remembering not only their old uni-
form, but their own places in the troop,
and the order of the various manoeuvres.

58 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS.

The following anecdotes are illustrative of
this remarkable faculty as developed in the
horse.

A farmer one day passing along a street in
Bristol recognized a cart-horse bestrode by a
countryman as one which he himself had
lost some nine months before. He at once
seized the horse by the bridle, and told the
rider that the horse had been stolen from
him.

"That is my horse," said he, "and if I do
not prove it in two minutes, I will quit my
claim."

He then caused the countryman to dismount,
liberated the horse from restraint, allowed
him to go at large, and declared his proof to
be, that the horse would be found at his
stables, which were at some distance�a fact
that was proved in a few minutes by the two
claimants and several bystanders repairing to

POWER OF MEMORY IN THE HORSE. 59

the stables, where they found the horse duly
installed in a vacant compartment of the
stable, and apparently quite at his ease.

Many remarkable instances of minute recol-
lection have occurred in horses which have
been accustomed to the army. It is told that
in one of their insurrections in the early part
of the present century, the Tyrolese captured
fifteen horses belonging to the Bavarian troops
sent against them, and mounted them with
fifteen of their own men, in order to go out to
a fresh encounter with the same troops. But
no sooner did these horses hear the well-known
sound of their own trumpet, and recognize the
uniform of their own squadron, than they
dashed forward at full speed; and, notwith-
standing all the efforts of their riders, bore
them into the ranks, and delivered them up
prisoners to the Bavarians.

CO THE HOUSE AND HIS WAYS.

Towards the close of last century, about the
time when volunteers were first embodied in
the different towns, an extensive line of turn-
pike road was in progress of construction in a
part of the north. The clerk to the trustees
upon this line used to send one of his assistants
to ride along occasionally, to see that the con-
tractors, who were at work in a great many
places, were doing their work properly. The
assistant, on these journeys, rode a horse which
had for a long time carried a field-officer, and
though aged, still possessed a great deal of
spirit. One day as he was passing near a
town of considerable size which lay on the
line of road, the volunteers were at drill
on the common; and the instant that "Solus,"
as the horse was called, heard the sound of the
drum, he leaped the fence, and was speedily at
that post in front of the volunteers which
would have been occupied by the commanding
officer of a regiment on parade or at drill;

POWER OF MEMORY IN THE HORSE. 61

nor could the rider by any means get him off
the ground until the volunteers retired to the
town. As long as they kept the field, the horse
took the proper place of a commanding officer
in all their manoeuvres, and he marched at the
head of the corps into the town, prancing in
military style as cleverly as his stiffened legs
would allow him, to the great amusement of
the volunteers, and to the no small annoyance
of the clerk, who did not feel very highly
honoured by " Solus " making a colonel of him
against his will.

The following instance of retentiveness of
memory is related by an officer who served in
India:�

"I was the happy owner of a gray pony
when stationed at Ferozepore. In the month
of November I left that station, accompanied
by my gallant gray, and was absent in

62 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS.

Afghanistan for about fourteen months. On
my return I galloped into the station by the
road in which I knew my bungaloiv was
situated, and looked about trying to recognize
the place; but owing to additions to the house,
and alterations in the gardens and neighbour-
ing houses and grounds, I failed in mv efforts.
But not so my pony, who, whilst I was staring
about at the many new houses which had
been built, and at the increase of the place in
one year, very nearly threw me by turning
sharply into the accustomed gateway which
stood invitingly open."

A gentleman rode a young horse, which he
had bred, thirty miles from home, and to
a part of the country where he had never
been before. The road was a cross one, and
extremely difficult to find; however, by dint of
perseverance and inquiry he at length reached

POWER OF MEMORY IN THE HORSE. 63

his destination. Two years afterwards he had
occasion to go the same way, and was benighted
four or five miles from the end of his journey.
The night was so dark that he could scarcely
see his horse's head. He had a dreary moor
and common to pass, and had lost all traces
of the proper direction he had to take. The
rain began to fall heavily. He now contem-
plated the dangerous position in which he was
placed.

" Here I am," said he to himself, " far from
any house, and in the midst of a dreary waste,
where I know not which way to direct the
course of my steed. I have heard much of the
memory of the horse, and in that now is my
only hope."

He threw the reins on the horse's neck,
and encouraging him to proceed, found him-
self safe at the gate of his friend's house in
less than an hour. It must be remarked,
that the animal could not possibly have

64 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS.

been that road but on the occasion two years
before, as no person ever rode him but his
master.



				■

			THE

HOESE AND HIS WAYS.

		STORIES OP MAN AND HIS BEST FEIEND.

	LONDON: BLACKIB & SON, 49 OLD BAILEY, E.C^ OLASGOW, EDINBURGH. AND DUBLIN



			CONTENTS.

		Page The Courage of the Horse,.........5 The Friendships of Horses,......... 17 The Docility of the Horse,......... 29 Sagacity of the Horse,.......... 42 Power of Memory in the Horse, ....... 57



			THE HOESE AND HIS WAYS.

		THE COURAGE OF THE HOESE. j/^OURAGE and unshrinking firmness have <§^ ever been attributes of the horse. The J magnificent description given in the Book of Job must be familiar to every one:� " Hast thou given the horse strength ? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder? canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper?�the glory of his strength is terrible. He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength; he goeth on to meet the armed men. He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword; the quiver rattleth against him�the glittering spear and the shield. He swalloweth the ground with



		6 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS. fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet. He saith among the trumpets, Ha! ha! and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting." It is asserted that horses with a broad after- head, and the ears far asunder, are naturally bolder than those whose head is narrow above the forelock. This assertion is in all prob- ability correct, for there is no reason why cerebral development should not influence the character of a horse as well as that of a man; but much, of course, depends upon judicious training. Some horses, says an intelligent writer on the subject, habituated to war, will drop their head, pick at grass in the midst of fire, smoke, and the roar of cannon; others never entirely cast off their natural timidity. We have witnessed them groaning, he continues, or endeavouring to lie down when they found escape impossible, at the fearful sound of shot,



		THE COURAGE OF THE HORSE. 7 shrapnell-shell and rockets; and it was painful to witness their look of terror in battle, and to hear their groans upon being wounded. Yet many of the terrified animals, when let loose at a charge, dash forward in a kind of des- peration that makes it difficult to hold them in hand; and we recollect, at a charge in 1794 �when the light dragoon horse was heavier than at present, and the French were wretchedly mounted�a party of British bursting through a hostile squadron as they would have passed through a fence of rushes, The horse, though naturally afraid of the lion, tiger, and other feline animals, has often sufficient confidence in a firm rider and his own courage to overcome this timidity, and to join in the attack. This was conspicuously evinced in the case of an Arab horse which once belonged to Sir Robert Gillespie. This distinguished officer being present on the



		8 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS. race-course of Calcutta during one of the great Hindoo festivals, when many thousands are assembled to witness all kinds of shows, was suddenly alarmed by the shrieks and commo- tion of the crowd. On being informed that a tiger had escaped from his keepers he immediately called for his horse, and grasping a boar-spear from one of the bystanders, rode to attack this formidable enemy. The tiger, probably, was amazed at finding himself in the midst of such a number of shrieking beings flying from him in all directions; but the moment he perceived Sir Robert, he crouched in the attitude of preparing to spring at him, and at that instant the gallant soldier passed his horse in a leap over the tiger's back, and struck the spear through his spine. Here, instead of swerving, the noble animal went right over his formidable enemy with a firmness that enabled the rider to use his lance with precision. This steed was a small



		10 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS. her anchors, was forced on the rocks, and bulged, and while a greater part of the crew fell an immediate sacrifice to the waves, the remainder were seen from the shore struggling for their lives, by clinging to the different pieces of the wreck. The sea ran dreadfully high, and broke over the sailors with such amazing fury that no boat whatever could venture off to their assistance. Meanwhile a planter, considerably advanced in life, had come from his farm to be a spectator of the wreck. His heart was melted at the sight of the unhappy seamen, and knowing the bold and enterprising spirit of his horse, and his particular excellence as a swimmer, he instantly determined to make a desperate effort for their deliverance. He alighted, and blew a little brandy into his horse's nostrils, when again seating himself in the saddle he instantly pushed into the midst of the breakers. At first both disappeared; but



		12 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS. who contributed their prize-money, to the amount of �500 sterling, to retain this com- memoration of their late commander. Thus the charger was always led at the head of the regiment on a march, and at the station of Cawnpore was usually indulged with taking his ancient place at the colour-stand, where the salute of passing squadrons was given at drill and on reviews. When the regiment was ordered home, the funds of the privates running low, he was bought for the same sum by a gentleman, who provided funds and a paddock for him where he might end his days in comfort. But when the corps had marched, and the sound of the trumpet had departed, he refused to eat; and on the first opportunity, being led out to exercise, he broke from his groom, and galloping to his ancient station on the parade, after neighing aloud, dropped down and died.



			14 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS. which he belonged was worsted, and in the confusion of retreat the trumpeter was mor-.. tally wounded. Dropping from his horse, his body was found many days after the engage- ment stretched on the sward, with the faithful charger standing beside it. During the long interval it seems that he had never quitted the trumpeter's side, but had stood sentinel over his body, scaring away the birds of prey, and remaining totally heedless of his own priva- tions. When found, he was in a sadly reduced condition, partly through loss of blood from wounds, but chiefly from want of food, of which in the excess of his grief he could not be prevailed on to partake.

		During that destructive war which for a space of thirty years desolated Germany, and which was terminated by the peace of West- phalia, the carriers who conducted the inland



		THE COURAGE OF THE HOUSE. 15 traffic of the country used to unite themselves in large companies in order that they might travel with greater security, and for their mutual defence against the marauding parties which infested every part of the empire. One of these carriers happened to possess a horse of an extremely vicious disposition. It was greatly addicted to biting and kicking, from which not even its master was always secure, and which often embroiled him with his fellow-travellers. One evening while they were pursuing their journey the party was attacked in a ravine by a band of hungry wolves, and after a long contest, finding they should not be able to get quit of them without allowing them some prey, it was agreed that they shoidd pay the owner of the vicious horse the price of the animal and make a sacrifice to the wolves. The bargain was soon concluded, and on the horse being turned loose the wolves immediately attacked him. He, however, de-



		16 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS. fended himself courageously with his teeth and heels, retreating at the same time into the in- terior of the forest, while the carriers availed themselves of the opportunity to hasten to a place of security, not a little rejoiced at having got rid of troublesome companions so much to their advantage. As they were sitting at supper in the inn where they usually slept for the night a knocking was heard at the house door, and on its being opened a horse pushed his head in. The girl, frightened, shrieked out, and called to the carriers, who, coming to her assistance, were no less surprised than rejoiced to see the heroic conqueror of the wolves, though much wounded, still faithful to his master; and, on account of his meritorious conduct upon this occasion, they agreed to forgive him his former misdemeanours and retain him in their com- pany.

			(121)



	18 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS. sat upon his back, or nestled as closely to him as she could; and when he died she pined away and died also.

A farmer's boy had fed and taken great care of a colt. He was working one day in the field, when he was furiously pursued by a vicious bull. The boy ran to a ditch, and got into it just as the bull was close upon him. The furious beast endeavoured to gore him, and would probably have succeeded had not the colt come to his assistance. This little animal attacked the bull, screaming with rage as he did so, when some labourers who were working near the place, hearing the strange outcry, ran to see what was the matter, and extricated the boy from danger.

		A. gentleman of Bristol had a greyhound,



		THE FRIENDSHIPS OF HORSES. 19 which slept in the stable along with a very fine hunter of about five years of age. These animals became mutually attached, and re- garded each other with the most tender affection. The greyhound always lay under the manger beside the horse, which was so fond of him that he became unhappy and restless when the dog was out of his sight. It was a common practice with the gentleman to whom they belonged to call at the stable for the greyhound to accompany him in his walk. On such occasions the horse would look over his shoulder at the dog with much anxiety, and neigh in a manner which plainly said: " Let me also accompany you." When the dog returned to the stable, he was always welcomed by a loud neigh. He ran up to the horse and licked his nose; in return the horse would scratch the dog's back with his teeth. One day when the groom was out



		THE FRIENDSHIPS OF HORSES. 21 his master, and then leap back to his pasture. We have ourselves, says Chambers, often witnessed similar signs of affection on the part of an old Shetland pony, which would place its fore-foot in the hand of its young master like a dog, thrust its head under his arm to be caressed, and join with him and a little terrier dog in all their noisy rompings on the lawn. The same animal daily bore its master to school, and though its heels and teeth were always ready for every aggressive urchin, yet so attached was it to this boy that it would wait hours for him in his sports by the way, and even walk alone from the stable to the school-house, which was fully half-a-mile distant, and wait saddled and bridled for the afternoon's dismissal. Indeed, the young scapegrace did not deserve one- tenth of this attention, for we have often seen old "Donald" toiling homeward with its young master at a gallop, to make up for time lost



			22 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS. at play, and enable him to be at home when dinner was on the table.

		A blacksmith in one of the remote parishes of Scotland, on one occasion, purchased a lamb of the black-faced breed from a shepherd who was passing through his village with a large flock. The lamb was so extremely wild that it was with great difficulty it could be separated from its fleecy companions. The smith put it into his field, in company with a cow and a little white Galloway pony. It soon began to exhibit indications of fondness for the latter, which, not insensible to such tender approaches, showed by its conduct that the attachment was reciprocal. They soon became inseparable companions; whether the pony was engaged in the labours of the field, or in bearing his master to church or market, the lamb invariably accompanied him. Such a



		THE FRIENDSHIPS OF HORSES. 23 spectacle soon excited a great deal of attention; and when likely to be too closely beset, the lamb would take refuge between the legs of the pony, and gaze about it with a look of conscious security. At night it regularly repaired to the stable, and reposed under the manger at the head of its friend. When the two animals were separated, which only happened when effected by force, the lamb would raise the most plaintive bleatings, to which the pony responded with a sympathiz- ing neigh. On one occasion they both strayed into an adjoining field, in which there was a flock of sheep; the lamb joined them, at a short distance from the pony, but as soon as their owner removed him, it quickly followed with- out casting even a look behind it. Another instance of a similar character happened when the pony was driven through a flock of sheep, accompanied, as usual, by his friend, which



			24 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS. followed, without showing the least inclination to remain with its natural companions.

		" Even great disparity of mind," says White, in his Natural History of Selborne, "does not always prevent social advances and mutual fellowship; for a very intelligent and observ- ant person has assured me, that in the former part of his life, keeping but one horse, he happened also once on a time to have but one solitary hen. These two incongruous animals spent much of their time together in a lonely orchard, where they saw no creature but each other. By degrees an apparent regard began to take place between these two sequestered individuals. The fowl would approach the quadruped with notes of complacency, rubbing herself quietly against his legs, while the horse would look down with satisfaction, and move with the greatest caution and cir-



			THE FRIENDSHIPS OF HORSES. 25 cumspection, lest he should trample on his diminutive companion. Thus, by mutual good offices, each seemed to console the vacant hours of the other; so that Milton, when he puts the following sentiment in the mouth of Adam, seems somewhat mistaken: 'Much less can bird with beast, or fish with fowl So well converse, nor with the ox the ape."^-'

		The last instance of a peculiar friendship on the part of a horse which we shall refer to at present is so extraordinary, that, were it not well authenticated, it might be looked upon with suspicion. Dr. Smith, of the Queen's County Militia, Ireland, had a beautiful hackney, which, though extremely spirited, was at the same time wonderfully docile. He had also a fine Newfoundland dog named Ctesar. These animals were mutually attached, and seemed perfectly acquainted



		THE FRIENDSHIPS OF HORSES. 27 horse, and giving the reins to Caesar, bid him take the horse to the water. They both understood what was to be done, when off trotted Caesar, followed by the horse, which frisked, capered, and played with the dog all the way to the rivulet, about three hundred yards distant from the stable. They invariably went straight to the stream, and after the horse had quenched his thirst, both returned in the same playful manner as they had gone out. The doctor frequently desired Caesar to make the horse leap over this stream, which might be about five or six feet broad. The dog, by a kind of bark, and leaping up towards the horse's head, intimated to him what he wanted, which was quickly understood; and he cantered off, preceded by Cassar, and took the leap in a neat and regular style. The dog was then desired to bring him back again, and it was speedily done in the same manner. On one occasion Caesar lost hold of the reins,



			THE DOCILITY OF THE HORSE. 31 would have shamed all the enchanters in the world; for whosoever was most famous among them could never master nor instruct any beast as he did his horse."

		A French writer makes mention of several surprising feats performed by a small horse at the fair of St. Germains in 1732. Among others which he accomplished with astonishing precision, he could specify, by striking his foot so many times on the ground, the number of marks upon a card which any person present had drawn out of a pack. He could also tell the hour and minute to which the hands of a watch pointed in a similar manner. His master collected a number of coins from different persons in the company, mixed them together, and threw them to the horse in a handkerchief. The animal took it in his mouth, and delivered to each person his own



		THE DOCILITY OF THE HORSE. 33 whatever might be wanted. His achievements were generally wound up by his taking a kettle of boiling water from a blazing fire, to the wonder and admiration of the spectators.

	An author, who wrote about the cleverness of horses when properly trained, stated that he had seen one that danced to music, and which, at the command of his master, affected to be lame, feigned death, lay motionless, with his limbs extended, and allowed himself to be dragged about till some words were pronounced, when he instantly sprang to his feet. Feats of this kind are now common enough in the circus and hippodrome.

The horse referred to above was the pro- perty of the famous equestrian Ducrow; and a writer in a popular journal thus described (121) C

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		THE DOCILITY OF THE HORSE. 35 brought into the ring, and the horse clears six of these, one after the other, with a distance of not more than four feet between them. After it has done this, it goes up limping to its master, as if to say, ' See, I can do no more to-night.' The muleteer lifts the lame foot, and seems to search for the cause of the halt, but in vain. Still, however, the horse goes on limping. The muleteer then looks in his face, and shakes his head, as if he would say, 'Ah! you are shamming, you rogue, are you not?' And a sham it proves to be; for, at a touch of the whip, the creature bounds off like a fawn, sound both in wind and limb."

		Mr. C. W. Montague, an equestrian manager of great experience and intelligence, narrates the following incidents in Chambers's Jour- nal:� I was once driving to Long Milford in



		36 THE HORSE AND HIS WAY& Suffolk at a spot where there was a bridge leading over a river. As we approached the bridge the horse pulled up and would not move on again without whipping. For some time I was at a loss how to account for this freak; but it afterwards occurred to me that the last time I had crossed that bridge and with the same horse, I had pulled up at the very spot to speak to a man I had met. Unless there is a reason to the contrary, we always prefer occupying the same field each time we visit a town. Sometimes it happens that the stud-groom, who is generally with the first wagon, forgets which field it is. But by giving the horse his head and leaving him to himself, he will most certainly pull up at the right gate. The groom never finds him to be wrong, and drives straight in. Once when in Southampton I had to pass up the High Street daily, and had a different horse almost every day. Whichever horse



		44 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS. had to feign giving in order to satisfy the horse and induce him to proceed."

		A gentleman was one dark night riding home through a wood, and had the mis- fortune to strike his head against the branch of a tree, and fell from his horse stunned by the blow. The horse immediately returned to the house which they had left, about a mile distant. He found the door closed and the family gone to bed. He pawed at the door till one of them, hearing the noise, rose and opened it, and to his surprise saw the horse of his friend. No sooner was the door opened than the horse turned round, and the man suspecting there was something wrong, followed the animal, which led him directly to the spot where his master lay on the ground in a fit.



		SAGACITY OF THE HORSE. 45 A carter in Fifeshire had an old horse which one day displayed a remarkable saga- city. The carter having a large family, this animal had got particularly intimate with the children, and would on no account move when they were playing among his feet, as if it feared to do them an injury. On this occasion, when dragging a loaded cart through a narrow lane near the village, a young child happened to be playing in the road, and would inevit- ably have been crushed by the wheels had it not been for the sagacity of the animal. He carefully took it by the clothes with his teeth, carried it for a few yards, and then placed it on a bank by the wayside, moving slowly all the while, and looking back, as if to satisfy himself that the wheels of the cart had cleared it. This animal was one of the most intelligent of his kind, and performed his duties with a steadiness and precision that were perfectly surprising.



		46 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS. In 1828 a gentleman in Montgomeryshire had a favourite pony, mare, and colt, that grazed in a field adjoining the Severn. One day the pony made her appearance in front of the house, and, by clattering with her feet and other noises, attracted attention. Observing this a person went out, and she immediately galloped off. The owner, hearing this, desired that she should be followed; and all the gates from the house to the field were found to have been forced open. On reaching the field, the pony was found looldng into the water over the spot where the colt was lying drowned.

			A captain of the 14th Dragoons had a power- ful charger which he had purchased at a very low price, on account of an impetuous vicious- ness, which had caused the death of one groom and nearly that of another. The captain was



		SAGACITY OF THE HORSE. 49 that the officer soon lost all idea of his route. In this dilemma he thought it best to trust to his horse, and loosening the reins, allowed him to choose his own course. The animal made way, though slowly and cautiously, till coming to a ravine near Glencouvent, when both horse and rider suddenly disappeared in a snow- wreath several fathoms deep. The officer on recovering found himself nearly three yards from the dangerous spot, with his faithful horse standing over him and licking the snow from his face. He was of opinion that the bridle had been attached to his person. So completely, however, had he lost all sense of consciousness, that beyond the bare fact as stated he had no knowledge of the means by which he had made so striking and providential an escape.

			There was an old horse, well known in the pretty village of Rainford, and even for many (121) D



		52 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS. causes an accumulation of water which cannot escape so quickly as when unopposed. One day the water rose so rapidly that the horses, which were grazing in the plain with their young foals, suddenly found themselves standing in the midst of deep water, upon which they set up a loud neighing, and col- lected themselves together on the highest part of the island. In this assembly they seemed to determine on the following prudent measure, as the only means of saving their young foals., who were now standing in the water as high as the belly, and in the execution of which some old mares also took a principal part, who cannot be supposed to have been in- fluenced by any maternal solicitude for the safety of their offspring. Every two horses took a young foal between them, and pressing their sides together, kept it wedged in, and lifted up, quite above the surface of the water. All the horned cattle which were on the



		SAGACITY OF THE HOUSE. 53 island had already set themselves afloat, and were swimming in regular columns towards their home. But these noble steeds, with un- daunted perseverance remained immovable under their cherished burdens for the space of six hours, till, the tide ebbing, the water sub- sided, and the foals were at length placed out of danger. The inhabitants who had rowed to the place in boats, saw with delight this singular man- oeuvre, whereby their valuable foals were preserved from a destruction otherwise inev- itable, and every one who heard of the circum- stance was pleased and astonished at the sagacity of the horses.

			A baronet, one of whose hunters had never tired in the longest chase, once encouraged the cruel thought of attempting completely to fatigue him. After a long run, therefore, he



		56 THE HORSE AND HIS WAYS. As no one appeared with the horse, the farrier immediately surmised that he had been seized with his old complaint. He was soon con- vinced of this by the animal lying down, and showing, by every means in his power of which he was capable, that he was in distress. The farrier quickly administered the usual dose, and sent him home to his master, who had by that time sent persons in all directions in search of him. "I '