, 1890-02-18
a WOMAN ON HORSEBACK.
Ths Horne ns n Thinksr-R.in or Shine
Ridtng-A Rider's Observations.

Ths Horne Rs n Thinker-Rain or Shine
RidinE-A Rider's Observations
The horse is generally believed to
have but little activity of the brain.
1t is stated that four hours sleep out
of the twenty-four are all that he re-
quires. The fact that he seems to need
but little sleep is brought forward TO
prove that he has little ment-l activ-
ity. He is generally, in point of in
telligence, compared unfavorably with
the dog. We must not forget, how
ever. hat the dog is the companion Of
man. received into the house and ac-
customed from his earliest years to the
society Of intelligent people. His mind
has beer by this means developed, his
mental activity increased. And the
cumulative effect of heredity must not
be overlooked. The dog has been in
an atmosphere Of education for thou
sands OF years, but the horse has been
left TO the care OF ignorant and brutal
men. whose only idea of enforcing
obedience is by means of a loud, harsh
word. a blow or a kick. When he is
left in peace he is fastened generally
with his head to a blank wall. where
he can see nothing to interest him.
Sometimes he must stand for long
spaces of time in this way, the interim
Unable, colorless day being broken
only by the process of cleaning and
his three feeds. When his nervous
nature under this strain invents some
way Of amusing himself, and making
time go a little more rapidly, he is
roughly hidden to stand still, or is
forced to stop his little play by the
lash. and earns the title of a vicious
brute. If a dog were subjected to the
same treatment, how long would it be
before he would require also only four
hours sleep by reason of a low men
tai activity" The Arabs make COM
panions of their horses, and they get
in return the service of willing and
intelligent friends.
The horse has always done more
reasoning than he has had credit for.
Has he not a clear idea Of the fight of
stable TO give him his dinner just at
noon7 How does he find his mistress
house among a whole street full Of
houses precisely alike, and never miss
stopping at the right door7 AS to in
telligence and power of acquiring
knowledge, there car be no doubt,
and that implies attention, and also
an appreciation of the laws of associ-
alton The horse certainly can dis
tinguisn some colors, for he is afraid
of a red lantern when he does not
mind a white one. / think there is no
doubt that he also distinguishes green
from red. In color knowledge he is
not, then, so far behind the Greeks of
Homer's time rs judged by Mr.. Glad
stone, fte has certainly great power
OF invention. and of adaptation of
means to non-existent ends. And no
does not fail in cunning, nor, / think,
in a of humor. The same ex-
element which moves us to honorable
action also stirs his nature; the same
discouragements lower his ambition,
and precisely the same treatment is
necessary with hip as with children
III educating them. We must never
forget that in the case of animals the
pupil cannot rise higher than the
teacher, and that the teacher must be
thoughtful and intelligent. He must
not only feel a kinship with his pupil,
but he must recognize in him an indi-
vidual character, and must adapt him
self TO that. No two horses are alike
in character any more than two peo-
pie.
There is no need Of losing a ride be-
cause of rain, and there are more
pleasures given by a ride in the rain
which the fair weather rider" never
can know-pleasures of sight and of
smell, new aspects of otherwise per-
fectly familiar scenes, which are al
most like a new creation. Nor need
our coolest winter weather deter any
one. A woman has decidedly the ad-
vantage over a man in winter, for her
skirts act the part of a muff, and she
need never fear cold feet. In fact, she
need fear no suffering from cold OK
cept in her hands. There are no
| gloves which will keep them warm
while they hold the Bride, but a Wig
orous beating on the horses elastic
quarters we'll behind the saddle will
zoe send the warm blood tingling
through the fingers to their very tips,
and after hat they will give no
trouble for a long time. AS to ears,
they will never resist a rub and a quick
trot, and once warm, they Will always
stay so, as indeed would the hands,
We're it not for the enforced cramped
position of the fingers. 1t is of great
advantage here to be mistress of two
bride hands instead of one.
A warm double breasted overcoat
should be worn, and then I know of
no more exhilarating thing than a fast
trot or a rapid gallop over the crunch
ing white carpet, while the loose dry
snow, flung up by the hoofs, or dashed
from the trees by the wind, flies in the
face like the white foam of the sea,
and every muscle of the horse responds
to the Jingle of the nerves in the sharp,
singing air. The whole atmosphere
is cleft through and through by the
shafts OF light; the bare trunks and
boughs of the trees are like beautiful
sculptures against the blue; the pines
bear at the tip of each branch, as it
were, a great white blossom, while the
hemloclSs sway heavily under their
snow burden, and we ride through
all the glory.-"A Woman Who
Rides in Harper's.