, 1877-11-16
Josh Billings Philosophy.
THE HORSE.


,smpers, and capasity', from the lean and
1.-THE built Arabian, to the solid and
sturdy Suffolk Punch.
The horse IL the fastest animal on the
footstool, for emmy distance, and probably
,be most easy one to domestikate.
The valuable karackteristiks ov the
horse are bone, muscle, formashun,
temner, courage, and the adaptashun ov
mnscle to his formashun.
: There is probably az much real differ
ence in the value ov horses as ov emmy
otber oy the animals, and thaie IL none
who has so menny good, and in other
cases, so menny bad qualitys.
kno ov no animal that has more de-
cepshun in their appearances, none who
look 80 good, and yet are really so worth
lass none who look so worthless, and yet
are so really good.
The best road horse l knu, one who
could 90 over country road emmy day
in the month ov June, drawing q heavy
two wheeled shay, one hundred miles,
hotween sunrise and sunset, and next
day return, would not bring seventy-fve
dollars, at any publik sale, WHARF she
wsz not known.
This animal had not one single
evidence in her looks, that che waZ az
ooSd a roadster az ever waz raised In Nu
England.
On all dumb brutes, the horse haz suf-
fered the most at the hands ov man, and
still haz all wuss been hiz most usephull
and obedicnt servant.
Thare il no kind ov abuse, no kind ov
hard usage, no kind ov neglect, no kind
ov hmeness and distress, but what this
noble kreature haz had imposed upon
him bi hiz unfeeling masters.
No horse should be broken to harness,
or saddle, until the spring they are com.
ing four years old, and during their
fourth year. Should never be called
upon to use one half their strength
But the anexiety to develope speed is
SO great, that three, and even two year
old colts, are put to their utmost powers.
This fills the country with broken down
and disseazed horses, who have scarcely
lived to be six years old.
Thare are but fu positively worthless
horses, unless made so bi the cruelty ov
man, but ov all the vast numbers ov
them, thare IL not more than one out ov
five that IL passable, and not more than
one out ov ten that IL desirable.
hay owned at least five hundred diff
ferent horses in mi life, and can't now
recall but three in the whole lot but
what could hav duplicated at emmy
time at country fair, or from among
the farmers, in euny Of our farming dis
trikts.
Perhaps thare hsz bQen no improve.
ment in the horse that haz been developed
SO Systematically and SO rapidly az hiz
trottipg speed.
During the past 80 years, the horse
haz trotted down from three minutes to
two minnitts and fourteen or fifteen
seckonds.
Twenty-Five years ago, waz told by
John Case, an old trotiing expert, who
was cotemperary with Hiram Woodruff,
that the cine would come when horses
would trot mile in two minnitts.
At the time waz told this by John
Case he waz driving Lady Moscow, who
waz then as fast az emmy horse, but could
not beat two minnitts and thirty-six
Seckonds.
This makes John Cases provecy look
almost like q matter ov good Judge
ment.
The trotters have already got within
hatf minnitt ev the average rase-horse
time. This shows CRATE skill in manage
ment.
We see menny viscious things among
the horses, but with few excepshuns theze
kan all be charge either to the stupidity
or malice in their masters.
The terrible kruelty ov man TO theze
pashunt, dareing, noble kreatures, is one
of the meanest traits in hiz karakter.
The horse haz figured more in the high
est order ov proze and song, since the
days ov Job until now, than enny and
perhaps all the brute species, and the
domestik relashuns between the Arab aud
his thorobred are nursery tales taught to
children, and admired bi everybody.
Thare certainly i2 no finer specimen
amung the animals than peIfekt horse,
none that challenges more admlrashun,
none that seems to kno hiz power, and
expresses hiz pride better, and most GER
tainly none that inspires hiz master to so
CRATE degree with biz own currage and
generous spirit.
The yiscious habits which horses ac-
quire are the most diffikult things posi-
Ole to break them ov; this shows the
crate susceptibility ov their natures. l
never knu horse who had once run
away, or ever been thoroly frightened at
enhything, to outgrow it. Once run
away, always runaway, IL proverbial
In horse parlance.
hav owned several runaways. l
owned them bekauze sumboddy else
wanted | should, not bekauze | wanted
20 own them miself, for l would not
own one knowingly, at the price ov one
uOlIaF hnwnuar oIanaut ha N, ;ka ha aud