The Van Buren press., 1859-09-14
From the Albany " Country Gentleman n. -
The Horse.

1usTc Is no uOfueotlC animal SO uScluI,
SO valuable. and SO important as the horse
Perhaps he has. more knowledge and intelli-
gence, or rather more instinct. than all 9TH
or beasts and in speaking of all the ami
mals-I mean domcsticated-unde the
charge Of man, we must give him the first
place, and award to him nobility, kindness,
strength, beauty and Intelligence. lie has
u nobility all his own he has the docility
of the COW; he has the strength to perform
hard service, and a will to obey his master
beauty and elegance of form, and grace Of
movement and reason and understanding,
| other animal-the dog, perhaps, excepted.
The horse has many singular and curious
habits and qualities, which those only know
who have studied his character, noticed his
disposition, watched his temper and obser-
we'd his movements under every possible cir
cumstancc; and we can obtain no accurate
knowledge Of him only in this way. His
sense Of hearingis very perfect. and distant
sounds, impcrceptible to his master, he
readily and distinctly hears and sports
men tell us that he recognises the cry Of
hounds, and will become uneasy and impa-
tient for number Of minutes before his ri
der catches the slightest sound. His sight,
too, is remarkably acute. He sees objects
at great distance, and often becomes
| frightened when his master knows not what
gives him alarm. Darkness makes no diff
ference with his seeing his sight being as
good in the darkest night as in the clear
light of MONDAY objects that his master
cannot possibly observe, he sees with per-
feet knowledge A late writer says IAN
old and very observing physician once told
us that he had become fully convinced that
his horse which he had driven many years
in his practice, had conviction of his dr-
ver's inability to keep the road in dark
| night, and of his own superior faculty in
that respect. He said that in very dark
night the horse ould not answer the rein
at all and that even when there was no
danger, he would doggediy insist upon his
own way, so that in time he had dropped
the reins entirely, whenever he could not
distinctly see the road" In reply to q
lady, who thought this course dangerous,
he facetiously said, 9. l have found out that
my horse is . better horse than l am"
l have also heard another anecdote-au-
thentic or not cannot say-of a physician
who had been absent from home on a pro-
fessional visit, and returning home late at
night i'll the midst of very violent rain
storm, was somewhat surprised to have him
stop before crossing bridge over a large
stream not a great distance from his house
Being on horseback, and not thinking Of
any danger, he spurrcd his horse, who car
ried him safely across and landed him at
his own door. In the morning it was dis
covered that the plank had been swept from
the bridge by the swelling of the stream,
and on looking. they found the print of hor-
se's shoes on the middle stringer or sill of
the bridge Considering what is knoscn Of
the habits of this noble animal, the above
does not seem at all improbable. -- I'D
| AS proof of the forcthought and cunning
of the horse, let me record the following
My grandfather, Asa Russell, who is now
living at the advanced age Of eighty five
years. but enjoying to a remarkable degree
the use of all his mental faculties, tells mo
that he once purchased valuable horse
which had formerly been used in Boston as
a truck horse. Being short Of pasturing
one summer, he engaged one of his neigh
boIs to keep his horse. Thepasturc was to-
wards the river on a cross road, and nearly
a mile from the field where the crops were
growing, situated on the main road. The
man who took the horse to pasture-a Mr.
|
had been in his cornfeld and damaged con-
siderable corn. The fence was examined
around the field and found in COOL safe con-
dition the pin which fastened the gate
leading to the corn, was lying upon the
ground little distance off. The fence
around the pasture was next looked at, and
nothing found out of place there. The horse
himself in his own quarters, easy and con-
tented. Two or three days passed and each
morning the gentleman visited his corniield
giving as it did new evidence each time Of
mischief. He then concluded to watch and
find out. if possible the cause of this trou-
BILE. Seating himself one night near the
gate awaiting the approach of the enemy,
he heard the sound of horse coming down
this cross-road at good moderate trot. 1t
came up to the gate, and he discovered it to
be the horse belonging to my grandfather.
Wishing to watch his movements, he kept
perfectly still. The horse pulled the pin
from the post, pushed the gate Just far en-
ough to enter and have it swing after him,
and went in. Getting his fill of corn, he
came back, and in the same manner open
/ ed the gate, it swinging to after he had pass
ed out, and galloped off up the road towards
his pasture, where he was found the next
morning as though nothing had happened.
He got taught that time, and ever after he
had to wear clog as reward for his mis-
chief This fact shows that the horse pos
sessed forethought, and therefore reason.
/ Close observers of the habits of the horse
notice with great interest the motion of his
ears. By these different motions and DO.
sitions they tell his disposition and temper
which is as different in the horse as in man
If he feels rather ugly and contemplstes a
kick or a bite. tho horse will drop his ears
back and give q peculiar nod to his head
He often does this, however. when only in
fun, but practiced eye will At onco detect
the two motives, that of sport or mischief
The horse has strong attachment for his
master. and also for the scenes Of his nativ
ity. We have. also, many instances o
horses who had received severe cruelty o.
the hand Of their master without cause
and yet submitted to it with patience ant
almost with fear. - g..ra.R \Xjslt
S. L. BoARDMAS, Br0okdale Farm, Ne.
) .l.- II - -sr-e Y