The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1849-01-26
OTTAWA, ILLINOIS, FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 1919

Jordan, the horse was early the associate of
man, bearing him with rapdity from place
TO place, and aiding in the carnage and TN.
mutt of battle. lie does not appear, howey.
er, to have been employed ia the more use
tul arts Of agriculture and commerce; these
supposed drudgeries being imposed on the
more patient OK, ass, and camel. Even in
refined Greece and Rome, he was merely
yoked TO the war-chariot, plao ed under the
saddle of the soldier, or trained for the race
course.
As civilization spread westward over Cu.
rope, the demands upon the strength and en-
durance Of the horse were multiplied, md in
time he was called upon to lend his shoulder
indiscliminatrly to the carriage and wagon.
to the mill, plough, and other implements Of
hu>bandry. Its in this servant of. all work
capacity thatwe must now regard him; aud
certainly more docile, steady. and willing
aSsiStan, it would be impossible to find. Bot
tits evident thatthe ponderouS shoulder and
firm step necessary for the wagon would
not be exactly the thing for the mail coach:
nor would the slow and steady dranght. so
valuable IN the plough. be any rerommcn.
cation 10 the hunter or roadster. For these
varied purposes men have selected different
stocks, which eIihcreXi>t naturally or have
heCn prCducedby long continued and care
lul system Of breeding. In state Of nature.
the hors" assumes varous qualities in point
OF symmetry, size, strength, aud heetuesS,
according TO the condition Of soil, fuod, and
climate which he enjoys. tits thus that we
have the Aribiau, Tartar. Ukraine. Shet-
land, and other stocks, each differing so
widely from the Others. that,he merest now
ice could not possibly cuniound them. Be-
sides these primitive stocks, a thousand
breeds, as they are called. have been rrodu.
ced by domc>ticaton. so that AT the present
time II would require volumes evcnf0r,heir
enumeration. Ia our own country, for tx.
ample, we have such breeds as the Elan.
dcrS, Norman, Cleveland, Suffolk. Galov.
ay, Clydesdale, and Shetland; and Of these
numerous varieties, as may be required for
the turf, the road, the cart, or the carriage
ill tins exhibits the wonderful dnciliiy Of
the horse, and proves Row admirably he is
adapted to be the companion aud assistant NJ
man, ~ the latter spreads himself over the
tenan'abe regions 81 the globe. II j. 10 the
character of the horse thus domcs,icated that
we intend 10 devote the rest Of this sheet:
TO his intellectual and moral, rather than Ia
ms 1hvsic,l qualities: to those traits Of ,pi.
rt and dai!nG. OF aptitude, prudence, mem.
DRY. aud affection, with which bis history
abcuuds.
Courage and unslI;hhing frmncss have
ever been attributes Of the horse. The mag
niticcnt description given in the book Of Job,
must he familiar TO every one :--'IIast thon
gwen the horse strength? hast thou clothed
] hiS neck with thunder? can>t thou make
him afraid aS grasshorpeI?-the glory of
his Strength i terrible. He pawcth in Il
valley, aud Irjnicrth IN his strength: h. 90.
c'n 90 To- meet the armed men. He mock.
eth al fear. and i not atf,gh,cd; neither
tUrneth he back frum the >wuill the uuv.
Cr ra',leth against him--the glitteriuc smear
aud the shield. He swal!uw.th the Ground
with hcfcenc>S aud rage; neither beheyeth
he that II is the sound Of the trumpet. lie
saith among the truunpcts, lIa, La! and he
>mrl!cth the battle aidr off, the thunder of
the captains. and the Shoutiug." 1t is as
serted that horses with broad after.head,
aud the ears far aSunder, are naturally bold
cr than those whose head is narrow above
the iorelock. This assertion Is in ali rroba-
bIhiy correct, for there iSno reason ,,hy &c.
rebral development should not influence the
character Of a horse as well as that of a mai ;
but much, too, depends upon udicious train
ing. Some, says Colonel Smith. habituat, d
10 war. will drop their head, pick at grass in
the midst oi fire, smoke. and the roar u can
non; others never entirely cast of thrirnat-
ural timidity. We have Witnessed them
groanng, or endcavoring TO lie down when
they found escape impossible, at the fearful
sound Of shot, shrapnell. shells. and rockets :
and it was painful to witness their look Of
terror in battle, and to hear their croans up.
on being wounded. Yet many Of the terri
fled animals, when let loose nj n charge
dash forward in kind of desperation that
makes it difficult to hold them IN hand and
we recollcct, at n charge in l1si-whent the
lIght.dragoou horse was larger than at prc-
sent. and the French were wretch, DIV
mounted-apa Of British bursting through
n hostile squadron sthey would have pass.
ed through fence Of PUSHES.
The horse, though naturally afraid Of the
lion, tiger, and other feline animals. has Of.
ten sufficient confidence IN firm rider and
his own courage to overcome This timidity.
and to Join in the attack. This was con.
>picuously cvinccd in the case of an Arab
possessed Ivy the late Sir Robert Gillespie,
and noticed in the NAtu,alists' Library. SiI
Robert being present on the race.Coursc Of
Calcutta durInc one Of the great IlniOu tes.
rivals, when many thousands are assembled
TO witness all kinds Of shows, was suddenly
alarmed by the shrickS and commoriou oi
the crowd. On being informed that n ,ig,
had escaped from his Keepers. he immrdi-
atc)y called for his horse, aud graSping n
boar.Spcar from one Of the byStander>. rode
to attack this formidable enemy. The ii.
ger. probably, was amazed at finding him.
Se,l in the middle Of such number of shrek
Ing beings, flying from him in all directions
but the moment he perceived Sir Robert, he
crruchcd in the attitude Of preparing tc
spring At him, and that instant the gallant
soldier passed his horse in leap over the
tigers back, and struck the spear thio' his
spine. Here, instead of swcrvng, the noble
: animal went right over his formidable enc.
my with hrmnesS tina, enabled the rider Il
use his lance with precision. This strcd
was n small gray, and was afterwards sen,
: home rs present TO the prince regent.
NJ Arnauld, in his History Of Animals
relates the following incident of frrocous
courage in a mule. This animal bclol scd
To- n gentleman in Florence, aud became sc
yiCinu, and refractory, that he not only re