The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-03-27
sHYlNe HORSES.
The Habit Usually tho Result Of Constisu-
tional Peculiaritfes.

o1uttN0 IIShS6Ss
The Habit Usually tho Resnlt Of Constitu-
tional Peculiarities.
There are many Troublesome habits OF
which horses can be entirely cured. but
he shying horse may never entirely
overcome the faulty habit. The ques-
ion is asked: Why make an exception
N the case of this particular fault?
Simply because it comes of constitu-
.ional peculiarities inherent in the ami
NAL, and will only die with him. The
habit may, to be sure, be partially over
come but is very likely to manifest it.
self under certain circumstances. The
causes of shying are. we may say. first.
simidity; some horses are constantly
haunted with the idea that they are in
Hanger of being hurt. They are said to
DC nervous, but this only in part ex-
plains the trouble, for a horse may be
| nervous in the direction of excitability-
desire TO rush ahead-pulling on the
bit. He may show it in restlessness
when hitchel by paving and stepSing
| forward and back the length of his
| hitching-strap, and in other ways, and
yet not have the habit of shying. Some
| say that the horse. in his mental compost
lion. has very little in common with the
master. No error could be greater than
| This. One of the business mems best and
most reliable safeguards against losses,
through bad bargains and bad debts, is
| tie sentiment of caution. An excess of
this gives rise TO fear-fear where no
Danger is present. Fear of danger in
| the man is a sentiment. excited to ac-
| sivity b. consideration of certain OBJ
| jects or circumstances that are imagined
II supposed to have danger in them.
| This, in the man, is not instinct. vet ii
IS just as near being instinct in the man
IS in the horse. Then, again, there is
the faculty of close observation, which
certain individuals have. The man
possessed of this in liberal measure.
when travelling. sees and remembers
objects passed on the road. AT the end
Of journey he can describe every OBJ
ect of note passed. He may have a
travelling companion, who. ut the end of
| he same journey. can describe nothing
he has passed upon the road. Many
horses 60 over strange road, appear
ing TO take no cognizance of ANYTHING.
| Another horse may follow that sees ev-
cry object, and if he should return over
inc same road, he will seem to antici-
pate his approach to every object that
has, in an especial manner, attracted
his attention. Ii horse having this
strong trait of observation has large
caution conjOined with it, he WILL nine
times out of ten, have the habit of shy
ing. Thus. horse with caution, and a
faculty for seeing everything he passes.
having been startled by piece of
paper, or a tumble weed being blown
under him or against his legs, may
never get over shying at those particu-
lar objects. He may have stepped upon
broken hoop, as we knew timid
horse to do, this flying up and striking
sharply against his legs, and ever after,
that horse would shy at piece of hoop.
The idea is advanced by some that shy
ing comes in many cases from defective
vision. Such defect may now and
then exist, but shying can, in nearly
every case. be demonstrated to be de-
pendent upon the influences pointed out
above 1t would be just as rational to
say that timid soldier, advancing to-
ward threatening enemies front, was
scared, and fl nched because, through g
defect of vision, he saw a score of glitter
ny bayOnets in close proximity to him.
The trouble with the soldier is, not
that he sees indiflerently. but that
he lacks courage. He is like shying
horse, afraid of getting hurt in his per
son. Many horse that SHES at a loose
piece of paper will 90 up to locomo-
tive, or fire engine, without fear. He
has become gradually accustomed tn
the locomotive. perhaps from seeing il
pass daily through the farm on which
he was reared, while he may have been
startled Unexpectedly by some triHinc
object, at which, mainly through cul-
tivating a timidity born in him, he forms
n fixed habit of shying. 1t is not alone
The horse that shes. Man makes a
semi-circle around any object he wants
to avoid. All animals do the same
thing. Birds, in their flight. circle
around suspicious objects. In all case.
this circling around to give wide berth
to objects considered dangerous. comes
from fear, and shy NO in the case of the
horse has origin from the same senti-
ment The cure, if cured he ever is,
must come through convincing his judg.
mentor the horse has intelligence
and judgment-that his fear of danger
s groundless, or at any rate greatly
magnitied. National LiUe StocG jour.
nal.