St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-01-28
HORSES.
The London Dray Horse and His Keeper.

Being DESTROYS of seeing how the
draw horse behaved at home, L asked
certain keepers of a large number OF
fine dray horses to allow me to inspect
their stables. They gave me leave to
do so whenever liked, and according
ly started off in company with my
lamented friend. the late A. H. Ashley,
so we'll known for the services which
he has rendered to the horse. We in
spected the places thoroughly, and
were much impressed with what we
saw.
One of the first sights which struck
us was that several of the horses were
walking freely about the yard, al
though no one was guiding them, and
the great gates were open. They went
to one of the many water tanks which
are placed in different parts of the
yard, took drink and went back again.
1t seems that when horse is thirsty,
it rattles against it's stall in IA peculiar
manner. The stablemen understand
the signal and loosen the horse, which
goes out of the stable, has its drink,
and comes back to its own stall. 1t is
a remarkable fact that the horse al
ways drinks at the same tank in which
TIC uIS 81 vi OOAhS oohAAo
ted to the yard, and always drinks
from the same part of the tank.
One of the stables contained eighty
stalls, forty on either side. When re-
turning from the tank, a horse never
mistakes his own stall, though the
stalls are all built and fitted in exactly
the same manner. The old and expe-
rienced horses, however, always look
into every empty stall which they may
pass, in the chance of finding some
provender in the Manager.
One of these old horses was pointed
out as being of original character. He
had for some years constituted himself
an amateur policeman, never allowing
man, horse or dog to enter the yard
except upon business. 1t stranger
should walk in, and address any of the
men, or if he should go straight to one
of the many offices, the horse would
take no notice of him. But if strange
man were to saunter into the yard,
lounge about with no fixed object, the
horse would fly at him with open
mouth, make all the clatter he could
and drive away the intruder.
All the horses are of gigantic d.
mansions. One of them--nOt the larg
est-measured six feet and one inch in
height at the withers. They are never
put to work until they are six years
old, and are carefully tested in every
way before admission, the resident
veterinary surgeon examining them as
closely as Il regimental surgeon tests
recruits.
The men look like race of Anakim,
and are selected and trained with the
greatest care.
The keepers of these great stables
seldom take IL man who is more than
20. They pick no the finest and strong
est lads that can be found, preferring
those who have not reached their full
growth, who give promise of future
massiveness, us well as height. 1t ac-
cepted, they are put into the yard as
"odd men,, and are by degrees pro-
NOTED to general stable work, then to
grooming the horses, and lastly to the
onerOus task of dray work.
During the whole period of prOba-
ton they are closely watched, and
taught us much by example as precept
that gentle kindness is the ruling pow
er of the establishment. The very at
mOsphere of the place tells uncOn-
sciOusly upon them, and they soon be-
gin to feel that a course or even rough
expression would be out of place.
In their preliminary duties of "Odd
men," they are Intentionally kept from
any personal contact with the horses.
the example of their seniors, and by
the time when they are allowed to
sweep out the stable, they have learn
ed that horses are never to be address
ed except in gentle, caressing tones,
and that the least display of bad tenn
per will throw them back to todd
men," or forfeit their place altogether.
AS for striking or kicking horse,
such a crime for it is a crime in that
establishment-is unknown. Now and
then, a new conner manages to conceal
his native rutfianism for II time, but
sooner or later it asserts itself.
Bawling at IL horse is a form of ruff
anism which is sternly and swiftly
punished. The delinquent is at once
reported at headquarters, for the men
are most Jealous for the honor of their
order. The case is investigated, and
if the accusation should be proved, the
man is paid his wages up to the day,
is given a weeks wages wherewith to
keep himself for time, and is con-
Quoted out of the gates, never again to
enter them.
Forgiveness is never accorded, nor
under any pretext will the man be al
lowed to take employment, even of the
most mental kind, in that establish
ment. Such were the conditions under
which every man enters the service of
the firm, and he knows that they will
be rigidly enforced.
| may also add that the keepers of
these stables never permit their ami
mails to be tortured and hampered by
the check rein, which independent of
it's cruelty, deprives the horse of its
power of exerting its full strength, and
so prevents the owner from getting the
full amount of work out of the animal.
Neither do they permit the use of
binders Tor blinkers), which are near
ly as absurd as the check-rein, though
they do not cause so much actual suf-
fering to the animal.
There seems to be hazy sort of
idea that the binder is beneficial to
the horse by shutting out sights which
might frighten it. But even with the
largest and closest binders, the ami
NAL is permitted to see objects in front
of it, and is just as likely to be fright
ened by them as by objects at the side
or behind. To be consistent, there
fore, the horse ought to be completely,
instead OF partially, blinded, aud then
there would be no possibility of its
seeing a startling object.
But, in fact, horse is not afraid of
objects which it sees, but of objects
which it does not see at all, or which
it only partially sees. Why should
we employ the binder in harness, and
not when we ride the horse The ma