The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1881-08-27
FACTS ABOUT HORSES.

An Equestrian Manager" in Eng
land givesthc following interesting facts
about horses:
II scarcely needs stating that good
memory is indispensable in learning any
thing. And If horse has to learn trick
or routine performance, he can only Go
SO by remembering it from time to time
of going through it. Both horses and
dogs have wonderful memories but
will narrate one or two instances relating
to the horse.
was once driving to Long-Milford
in Suffolk at spot where there was a
bridge leading over river. As we ap-
preached the bridge, the horse pulled
up, and would not move on again with
out whipping. For some time was at
n loss to account for this freak but it
afterward occurred to me that the last
time | had crossed that bridge and with
the same horse, l had pulled up at that
spot to speak to a man.
Unless there is a reason to the con-
trary. We always prefer occupying the
same field each time we visit a town.
Sometimes it happens that the stud
groom, who is generally with the first
wagon, forgcts which field it is. But
by giving the horse his head and leav-
ing him to himself, he will most certain
ly pull upat the right gate. The groom
never finds him to be wrong, and drives
straight in.
When in Southampton some yeats
since, Ihad to pass up High Street daily,
and had different horse almost every
day. Whichever horse had he would
slacken speed at the Star Hotel, and
went to turn into the yard. Upon
mentioning this to the groom, he cx-
planned that, five years previously, when
the circus was in Southampton, the stud
had been stabbed at the Star, and the
horses had not yet forgotten the place.
/ have my opinion, founded upon
close and varied observation, that horses
can and do convey to each other very
exact intelligence by the sounds they
produce, from the proud, sonorous
ncighings for a full-spirited horse, down
to the whinnyings and snortings and
other little sounds with which all keep
ers OF horses are familiar. Once, in a
long stable containing twenty stalls in
row, horse at one end was dying
Near the other end was a horse OF
timid disposition, which showed marked
signs Of dread and extreme nervousness,
rs though conscious Of what was going
on; trembling from head to foot, and
streaming with perspiration. Iieel con-
vinced that intelligence Of what was
passing had reached this horse, and that
being Of 4 nervous temperament, the
poor animal had been troubled to the
painful extent we had witnessed.
Another example Of a different kind.
1t often happened that was away from
the company for weeks and months at a
stretch, and on some Of these occasions
! had to return along the same road by
which the circus was crossing, thus meet
ing the vans, one after the other all
down the line. When yet there was
some distance between myself and the
nearest van, my horse would scent or see
the nearest van.horSc, and salute him
with loud neigh. This would be 1t
once answered by the van-horse, which
seemed to pass the signal to the rear
down the line, where it was taken up
from horse to horse to the very end,
perhaps threc-quarters Of 4 mile away.
Then as rapidly drove by and met the
vans, each horse would turn toward
mine as he passed. greeting him with
friendly and joyous neigh apparently
holding short conversation in passing,
as though welcoming each other after
separation. For il must be noted that
it was only after long absence tha; such
demonstrations took place.