Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-07-05
THE EVE OF A HORSE.

purpose is just the reverse"
---->>>-
THE EYE OF A HORSE.
HOW Beasts Speak to Those Who
Know Their Language.
PAIN AND PLEASURE EXPRESSED BY THE EYE
AGENT KEYS OBSERVATION ON THE SUB
JECT-AN INFALLIBLE INDEX TO HORSES
CONDITION-CRUELTY PRACTICED ON HORSES
BY BLACksMITHs, ETC.
1.-THE eye OF a horse is as expressive as the eye
OF human being" said Mr.. Key of the Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, to a
STAR reporter. at will express affection pleas
ure, cOntentment, care, fear and pain as plainly
as the eye OF a man, and as a practical OBJ
server can understand and correctly interpret
the varying conditions of the mind as depicted
in the face OF person, so one who has studied
the features OF animals can draw from them a
correct conclusion as to their mental state
do you mean to say that by noting the
expression In the eye of horse you can tell
whether or not it is diseased and the character
Of its ailment If 1t has any?" asked The STAR.
Yes and no." was the reply. II can tell
whether or not the beast is suffering. but | can
not tell the cause further examination is
necessary to ascertain that For example: Last
Sedi L shW u HoISe Iudt ny Tue expression OF lCS
eyes told me that 1t was suffering acute pain /
called the attention of the gentleman who was
with me to the circumstance, and, as the driver
was then absent. we waited for him to appear
and start the horse to work as the law REQUIRES
US to see an act which will constitute legal cru
city before we can make complaint. As soon as
he had started the cart stopped him and made
an examination. | looked at the shOeng of
the horse; looked at the harness; looked for
swellings; but could find nothing Still there
AAf,o .f,~
eyes Of the animal, and was baff1ed at first for
| knew the horse, was suffering At last pulled
aside the heavy f6relOck. and there discovered
a cloth, stiff and caked with blood and pus,
which had Issued from d wound across the fore
head given by blow with club. So you see
now what mean by speaking of the expression
OF the eye as coHveyng,t to an observer the con-
ditiOn of the horse"
Does it require any peculiar quality in the
mind OF person to be able to perceive and IN
derstand the expression in the eye of an
ANIMAL"
mo. Close observation and sympathy is all
that Is necessary. l was raised in the blue
grass region Of Tennessee and Kentucky, and
have been among horses all my lfe and the
knowledge which possess of them is the result
Of long and practical acquaintance with them
You know how persons character becomes
stamped in his features, and it is so with the
horse. He carries his character in his face as
plainly as you orr. While Barnums circus was
Mr. Hutchinson that the biggest show that
saw was his horses. They were no better fed
no seeker, and apparently no better cared for
than many horses in this city. but they had
happy, cOntented expression of the eye that be-
tOkened perfect satisfaction, an expression
(which is wanting in ninety-nlne out of every
hundred horses here. Itell YOU sir" and Mr.
Key grew little warm in his interest in the
subject THAT the horses In this city, almost
without exception have careworn expression.
| look hqi 4 Lo,,
mind, and the universal appearance OF graft
fed desires and the real contentment of
the horses in the circus struck me with amaze
ment and sought for the explanation. found
It after examining the feet OF fifty of them, and
1t is right here. they were perfectly shod and
their hoOfs were properly cared for. They stood
on damp ground. and the frog of every foot was
On the ground, too. The frog Of a horses foot
forms an elastic cushion. which prevents a
sudden shock to his frame when he is moving
but the ordinary blacksmith never thinks of this
In fact he has no more idea of horses foot, it's
structure and requirements than if he never
saw one. When he operates on horse he is
not satisfied with pairing away the hoof, and fire.
quently he pares away too much but in order
to make the shoe fit more closely he applies 1t
hot from the furnace to the horses foot, driving
up the juices, closing pores that should be open
and, not content with this, nails on the shoe
and pares again by rasping off the outside with
a file to make neat job. The horse is then
driven over the hot pavement and placed
in stall on a dry floor, and very seldom does
the owner of the horse battle its hOOfs, while in
reality the horse needs foot bath as much as
the owner himself. Is it any wonder then that
nlne-tenths OF the diseases of horses in this
city are the outgrowth Of bad shoeing? I went
to the blacksmith shop connected with the
circus after 1t had been here day and a-half
and could carry away In my hand every boot
pairing in the shop. In the ordinary way of
shoeng the hoof shrinks and cracks and the
foot between n connie Of
that 1t does not receive and modify the shock
can make the statement positively that nine
tenths Of the horse diseases arise directly and
Indirectly from careless and ignorant shoeng"
''DO you receive willing cooperation from
the officials here In your work of preventing
| Cruety?"
eyes. indeed" said Mr. Key, s:they could not
help me more than they do if they were all kins-
men. have always found them ready to as
! sist me by any means In their power and with
their aid you will see that have been able to
| stop some crying abuses. Take the case of the
! individual who came up here from Alexandria
last August. hired a horse at livery stable and
run the poor beast to death. We arrested him
and Judge Smell fined him $175 or six months in
the workhouse He worked out his sentence
We struck OIL card giving the details of the
| case and sent 1t around to the livery men and
since then there has been marked improve
/ ment in the treatment OF horses by persons who
| hire them. We have In numerous instances pre-
vented the spread of CHAMBERS and the work of
the society has a tendency to elevate the quality
| of the horses used in this city. The society in
this city now is receiving an average of 1925
month from fines collected for offenses against
the brute creation by careless and brutal men,
The community is awakening to sense Of the
| value and importance Of this work and am re-
| ceiYing much stronger and more sympathetic
| support than when first came here two wears
| ago"
ReeCher,S Luxurious Habits.