St. Paul daily globe., 1892-06-13
HORSES AND INSANITY.


HORSES AND INSANITY.
Proofs That These Animals Often
Lose All Control of Themselves.
Washington Star.
In the steppes of Russia, where
wolves abound, and where the horses
lead wild life and have to shift for
themselves, it is said that young
colt will sometimes be made
so furious by the persecution
of his enemies that he will rush
wildly among a drove of wolves and
bite and strike until he has slaughtered
a large number of them. These horses
are exceptionally fierce, rendered so. it
is supposed, largely by the extreme
variations in the climate. At one time
of the year they suffer from intense
heat of a tropical sun and at another
they live among raging snow storms
and extreme cold.
There are number of stories about
the fury of horses on the battleheld.and
occasionally they seem to go mad. One
instance of this was an Arabian horse
at Baaklava, which rushed at an En-
gish soldier who happened to
be drawing water. seized him
in his mouth and threw him
down, and then, kneeling upon
him. tore at his breast and actually bit
off his hand Before the terror could
be subdued he bit off another soldiers
finger and seriously injured the vet
erinary surgeon Of the regiment. There
was no battle in progress on the occa-
sion, but 1t is highly probable that
military life and the attendant excite
ment had driven the horse crazy.
There was case similar to the above
in Illinois some years ago. A Mr.. Han
nan, of Peoria, suddenly found his
horse. usually very gentle one, acting
in avery strange manner. HE would
lay hold" said the gentleman who gave
the account, with his teeth of every
thing that came within his reach and
shake it as terrier would rat.
While the gentleman was watching the
horse reached into pigpen and, selZing
hold Of one of its inmates, threw it up
in the air. This strange feat he repeated
two or three times; then setting his
teeth in the body OF the pig, he crushed
it to the earth. gnaWlng and mangliDg
the body i'll most frightful manner
The horse then took second pig;
served it in a similar manner and then
tossed calf into the air as easily as a
cat would a mouse. The owner imme-
diateiy sent for a popular farrier, but
when he arrived the horse was more
quiet, whereupOn the farrier ventured
into the inclosure and called the horse
to him. The animal came up ap-
parently very dOcile, but the moment
he was within reach he seized the man
violently by the shoulders. threw him
forcibly with his face on the ground,
then, setting his teeth in his back, en-
deavored to crush and gnaw him. the
animals eyes meantime becoming
CLASSY with rage" The owner rescued
the farrier, but the horse had to be shot.
1t was clearly case of insanity.
Do horses really care for human be-
ings? 1t is probable that no two horse
men will answer in the same way.
Some maintain that they are affection
.ate and love their masters, and others
are equally certain that they only care
for one another. Phillip Gilbert Ham
erton, who processes to have made
scientific investigation on this point, de-
clares that horses have no sympathy
for people, and that they do
not love their masters, but there are
plenty of intelligent people of expert
ence who assert to the contrary. How
ever this may be, there is no doubt
about their strong attachment to each
other, and their intelligence in assisting
one another is illustrated by one Of the
most remarkable horse stories OIL record.
1t must be told in the language of the
narfatOr:j ;
"a gentleman possessed of span of
sprightly little horses. which,. whether
in the stable, in the field or i'll tile har
ness, were always together. proceeded
to Lake Minnetonka on fishing eXcur-
sion. Taking them from the carriage,
he tied them some rods apart. near the
lake shore, and left them to
feed. Repairing to shanty
near by, the gentleman. threw
himself upon the floor with the inten-
tion of doing away the time Which
would e!apse before the return of the
fishing party engaged oil the lake. But
a short time passed before the sound of
horses feet aroused his attention, and
a moment after one of the horses ap-
peared at the shanty door. The
animal put his head in, gave a
loud neigh, and then. in a
slow gallop, but evidently under
great excitement, returned toward the
spot where he and his companion few
moments before had appeared safely
fastened. Surprised to find the horse
loose aud struck with his singular
conduct, the gentleman Immediately
followed and found the other
lying in the water. enUangled by
the halter and with great diff
Guilty keeping from being drowned
While efforts were being made 10 dis
engage the unfortunate horse, his
noble and intelligent benefator stood
by, IN tnifesting the utmost solicitude
and sympathy, and when his mate was
fairly extricated from his perilous situ-
alton and once more again safely upon
solid ground, the generous creature ex-
hibited the most unequivOcal signs OF
satisfaction and JOY"