Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1890-02-28
Horse Sense.

AAOAoS SNhSN, "hNh
a man is generally accepted as COM
pliment, and that it should be so con-
sidered is certainly no discredit to
the horse. Some horses possessed
ola degree of intelligence that is tru-
" remarkable, and instances might
be multiplied that would show a de-
gree of equine sagacity scarcely to be
credited except on undoubted author
ity. 1t is pretty well established
fact that horse shows better discern
ment as to direction than a man, and
will find its way home in the most
binding snow storm. 1t has fire.
quently occurred that driver who
was bewildered and who gave his
horse full rein arrived safely at the
desired destination. In nine times
out of ten the horse will find his way
where man would be at loss even to
pick out the general direction.
1t is notable that horse will stop
of its own accord at place at which
it had stopped once or twice before.
This shows the power of memory.
Horses will frequently stop at places
recollections of which had escaped
their drivers. The manner in which
a doctors horse behaves in this par
ticular offers food for thought. An
interesting illustration comes to hand
from CINCINNATI where one day last
week DR.. Mead found his horse had
disappeared from in front of a pa
TENTS house. After a vain hunt for
the animal the doctor got telephone
message from his betrothed out IN
the suburb of Linwood to the effect
that the horse was there. He was a
favorite of the lady, who always had
a lump of sugar for him when the
doctor came out counting to Llnwood,
and the animal followed his inclina-
ton without injuring the buggy a
particle.
An incident showing still more the
power of memory in horse is told OF
the great stallion Almont. His dis
position was of the most kindly ma
ture, and he would permit any one to
stroke his glossy hide and play with
him. One day his groom struck him
severely and was discharged for so
doing. Almont showed no rage, but
more than two years, when the groom
returned, he suddenly became vic
ious and would not let the groom
near him. He evidently remembered
the groom and the blow of two years
before.
A Detroit gentleman gives two in
stances to show the intelligence of his
horse. During the exposition" he
says, Il drove down one day and
took spin around the track. 1t had
grown dark by the time drove OF
the track on the opposite side from
which | had entered. / did not
know of anything to prevent me get
ting out that way, and was driving
along without any thought Of danger,
when suddenly the horse stopped. L
could not see any reason for it, and,
drawing up the reins, spoke to him
sharply and tried to urge him ahead.
He refused to bulge, and on getting
out | found that a rope had been
stretched across the track. The horse
had crossed it all right, but seemed
to know that the carriage could not
pass. An accident was certainly
averted by his stopping. Another
instance is furnished by the same
horse. put lin out to pasture at
the Point one spring and left him
+ ere some time. During the sun.
mer l drove him by the pasture a
number of times and he never showed
any inclination to stop. In the WIN
ter it was the same. He did not seem
to remember the place, but the next
spring when | drove out that way,
and was not thinking about the place,
he turned up to the bars as if he ex-
pected to go to pasture again. lie
appeared to have remembered not
only the place but also the season of
the year when he went there before. "
Il Horse and Stable.