The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-07-01
Remarkable Instinct of q Raee.Horse,

THE following is one of the most re-
markable instances ON record of the in
stinct of horse. Immediately after the
last days meeting of the Maryland Jockey
Club at Pimlico, this spring, Business,
Artist, George West and two or three
Other broken-down racers were put up at
auction by their owner, Mr. Joseph Don
ahue. As is generally the case, however,
no one wanted to purchase them, and
with the exception of Jim Crow none
were seld. They were taken back TO the
stables, and on the following day George
/ West, the renowned stceple-chaser, was
sent to the farm of Capt. Powers, in Balti-
more County, and turned out on pasture
with "a number of common work horses.
Strange to say, however the old racer re-
fuses TO associate with the common
horses, and will not even remain in the
same part of the field with them except at
certain hours. Every morning and even
ing during a racers training he is
walked slowly around in small circle
for an hour or so. These walking circles
can be found near the stables at every
race-track, and they are usually about 100
feet in diameter On the first morning
after old George West was turned out of
the stable at Capt. Powers farm he waited
around the stable doors for some time and
neighed as if impatient. The old horse
spent, the entire first day walking up and
down in front OF the stables. On the fol-
lowing morning he Vas turned out again,
and after standing around the stable some
time he walked OFF to a distant corner of the
field, where he proceeded to walk around
in a circle of about fifty or sixty yards
The walk was kept mp for, an hour as
steadily as he had ever done itin his palm
lest training days. After exercising about
an hour the old horse left his walking
ground and capered around the field as if
delighted. In the evening it was noticed
that shortly before sundown he threw up
his head, and, after neighing once or
twice, galloped around the entire field
seven or eight times. He then suddenly
stopped and went to the small circle used
by him in the morning and walked around
il regularly for aboEt.an hours At the ex-
piratiOn Of that time he Benttoth e stable.
These exercises of walking and ealloping
have been repeated regularly ever since,
and Capt. Powers states that the time
George West begins exercising each day
does not vary over half hour He was
kept in the stable two days Without get
ting out, but when turned out on the third
he at once began his walk and kept it.up
as usual. The other horses in the field
have followed his example, and now every
morning and evening seven common
horses may be seen moving regularly
around the small circle ike a string of
racers, headed by George West. The
sight is a novel one, and hundreds ofper-
sons have visited the farm during thepast
week to witness il. Beyond the waking
George West does not mix with the com
mon herd at all, and takes his gallops en-
tirely alone. George West is now over
six years old, but there is probably no
steeple-chascr now living in this country
that in his fourth and fifth years won as
many gallant races as he has done.-Baltt-
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