The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-08-25
INTELLIGENT PONIES.

respect and admiration for those quaint
little horses. But am left to the next
best thing, which is to avail myself of
the experiences of some friends of mine
when they were children.
The children were English-there
were five of them-and each always
had one pony. and sometimes more.
The special pets were Fly (because he
went so fast, Pontedarro, Lesmehago,
Kitty and Jack. The ponies were in
dispensable, because there could be no
going anywhere in any other way. And
beforeyou begin to waste any time in won
dering how that coud be, may as well
say that the country was South Wales,
and that it was mining region. The
place where the family were living was
a level spot in the midst of hills full of
copper and iron and limestone. There
was not tree or a house in sight; and
the nearest village was fifteen miles off.
where there was turnpike on which
the mail-coach went. There were no
roads; consequently there were no
wheeled vehicles of any description.
The only way of travelling was on the
ponies; and as soon as they were broken.
these little children were put on their
backs, and presently learned to ride as
if they grew there.
The WEIGH ponies belong to the wild
race peculiar to the north of Europe,
known as the dun or tan stock. Button
gives an account of them; and think
that charming artist, Rosa Bonheur, who
is so fond Of animals, has painted ex-
cellent portraits of some of them.
They all are close-built, hardy, sure
footed, bright and small; but no others
among them so very diminutive as the
Shetlands, which are such tiny crea-
lures that we can any of US believe the
story that a gentleman once carried one
home in his chaise. covered with the
apron, where he kept him quiet down
out of sight by giving him bits of bread.
Those of Wales are of fair size. with
elegantly shaped heads and beautiful
eyes, and names which sweep the
ground. They are not shaggy like the
Shetlands, but they have rich colors-all
jet black, or bay, or buff, or dappled
with gray; and they make beautiful
pictures seen in droves on the naked
mountains, where they run wild the
year round. A colt is never used until
he is two years old. and that is why
they have such perfect forms. Each
one has mark burned into his hair by
the owner, who pays the great land pro-
prietor so much year for pastureage
(tak they call it, for taxi, and then all
are turned loose to roam about in COM
pany. But they are so gentle that they
can be caught; and when a WEIGH peas
ant woman wishes to 90 somewhere she
will run out and catch one, spring upon
his back by just touching her hands,
and ride off with only a halter to guide
him, her thick serge petticoats making
all the saddle she needs. And when
she comes back she turns him loose
again to take care of himself.
They are wonderfully wise creatures,
and can pick up their living where a
stable-fed horse would starve. If they
cannot find what they like best, they
will make the most of what there Is:
snatch mouthful of bitter herbs, and
suck up few drops of water left in the
hollow of a rock, and be satisfied. Their
instincts are sharpened by the necessi-
ties of their rowing life; they can always
contrive to 90 where they want to. and
are keen at all manner of irresponsible
for pony to do.
Some of those which I was told about
soon found out that the steward the
children's father) always carried salt in
his pockets when he went about over
the country to look after the sheep, and
they would gather around him and
thrust their noses in after it, so that
they wore his coats out with their rub
bling. And they would come down to
the valley where the cottage was, and
crawl under the bars like dog to get
into the yard after something good to
eat. One piece of mischief they perpe-
:rated was to help themselves to the
dinners of the farm laborers. These
men came in the morning to their work.
and each had his dinner in an oval
wooden box, worn smooth by long use,
slung over the shoulders by leathern
strap. The food was always the same,
for, like the peasantry in all countries,
they never in their lives could afford va
iety: bread and cheese, barley bread
(Which they called barre coase). and
hard white cheese. Such as it was,
however, it was a delectable treat to the
ponies, who made a practice of waiting
somewhere in the neighbOrhood until
the men had put the boxes away in the
sheds and gone of about their work.
Then these crafty animals would 90 to
the spot, eat the contents, and-that
was the ''cutest feat of all they knew
how to do-drop the covers back into
place as if nothing had happened. When
the hungry toilers came down for their
coarse and hard-earned MONDAY meal,
not a crumb remained. They soon
found who had done the mischief; but it
was not so easy to find hiding-place
which the four-footed depredators could
not smell or spy out.
1t was on the backs of such bright
ponies, made if possible more intelli-
gent, and so faithful and afectionate by
being much petted. that the party of lit
tie folks always used to be going off on
errands or for their own pleasure. Such
a joyous, healthful kind Of life as it was,
too, though those jaunts on which they
went to deliver messages for their faith
er often took them into dangerous
places. But the ponies were to be
trusted; and so were the children, who
o. L.