Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-07-08
Remarkable Instinct of a Race-HOrSe.

THE following is one of the most re-
markable instances ON record of the in
stinct of a 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, MIR. Joseph Don
ahue As is generally the case, however,
no one wanted to purchase them, and
with the exception of Jim Crow none
were sold. They were taken back to the
stables, and on the following day George
West, the renowned steeple- chaser, was
sent to the farm Of Capt Powers, in Balti-
more County, and turned out on pasture
with q 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 racers training he is
walked slowly around in q 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
in Of l,a a.. IL, CT
lowing morning he was turned out again,
and after standing around the stable some
time he walked off to distant corner of the
field, where he proceeded to walk around
in circle Of about fifty or sixty yards.
The walk was kept up 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 shutdown 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
it regularly for about an hour. At the ex-
piration of that time he went to the stable.
These exercises Of walking and galloping
have been repeated regularly ever since,
and Capt. Powers states that the time
George West begins exercising each day
does not vary over a 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 like string OF
racers, headed by George West. The
sight is novel one, and hundreds of per-
sons have visited the farm during the past
week to witness it. Beyond the walking
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-chaser now living in this country
that in his fourth and fifth years won as
many gallantraces as he has done-BQlti-
mare Au1ericnn