The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-09-21
HORSES HAVE IDEAS.

From the Chicago Times
'Horses are almost as superstitious
as men, but, unlike men, they can be
reasoned with and made broad-minded,
liberal, free-thinking philosophers.
The horse is the noblest animal that
walks the earth. He has most of the
| good traits of the human race with
some of the bad ones"
1t was Prof. Bartholomew who spoke
| in this exalted strain bout the horse.
Take. for instance" said he. ''those
horses raised on the big ranches in
California. where got my first train
ing. There are lot OF parallel VAL
legs, each of which may be the property
of separate ranchero, but the horses
have free access among them all Thus
horses of different brands get mixed,
and once year all the rancheros club
together and have gigantic round up.
! Several thousand animals of a dozen
different brands may be rounded into
one herd. The cowboys ride round
and round them continuously TO pre-
whole herd is kept in constant motion.
When a creature tries to break out he
is pursued and whipped back, till he
realizes that his only escape from pun
ishment is in remaining with the herd.
All this time cowboys are riding about
in the herd cutting out the different
brands. Every maverick is roped and
branded with the mark of the older
horse it is following. The branding
is cruel work and the horses never for
get it.
They seldom, If ever, see a man
afoot but they associate the idea of the
pain with that of a mounted man and
brood over it till it grows stronger and
stronger. The sight of horseman is
to them frightful and they are desper-
ate in their attempts to escape from
his presence. The older they grow the
stronger is their dread of mounte
men, and it is inherited bv the colts till
it has all the features of superstition
Still it can be educated out of them.
Then again there may be individual
superstitions. Say, for instance,
horse falls off the cliff and is badly
bruised. He may be fearless at any
other pass, but he will carefully avoid
this particular place where he was in
jured. One horse may fear one thing
and another another. Untamed ranch
horses may have different supersti-
tions from those of the real wild ami
mails that have never been disturbed
by man. Among these there is a pro-
nounced fear of rattlesnakes and GER
tain wild animals.
When youth | was a cowboy, and
one of the best rough riders of the
west. Like other cowboys / delighted
in bucking bronco, but | soon learned
that the widest horse can be tanned in
an hour so that he will follow his
rider about and let himself be ridden
hundreds of horses fresh from the
prairies, and never failed to
make complete conquest in a short
time ] treat horses as intelligent be-
mgs, and after a manner ask them if
they can do things. Often they refuse,
and again they say as plain as If they
used words: why, yes, can do that
and they do it.
''In selecting horses for exhibition |
intelligent horse is broad between the |
eyes with a small hose, broad between |
the ears and with small ears. Horses |
are like men. You can't tell by the 1
shape of mans head whether he is a 4
philosopher or a fool. You will find l
heads in congress as awkwardly shaped |
as in lunatic asylum, and in the lat
ter place will be seen faces as apparent
" intelligent as the wisest in congress. |
Il train my horses in classes. / take /
a dozen and ask each to do a certain |
thing. Some will stare blindly, while
others will step up briskly and say: /
Yes, l can do that Then / ask them
to do something else. and then those
who were quickest at first will halt,
while those who made no response be-
fore are anxious to do the thing. Thus
soon learn the class of work each is
fitted for. and develop them
along their special lines. In this way
they are just like men. Now, have
tried numerous ways TO make living
outside of horses. but always fail and
drift back 20 nv hobby.
Horses are like men in the amount
OF courage they can muster mp. II I
want horse 70 do extra long jumps I
select creature that is finely built and
has all the physical qualities, but per
haps he is a coward and is afraid 10
leap. Some little half developed crea-
ture possessed with a daredevil spirit
may Guido him in every respect"
bartholomew Is severe on such al
legged horse trainers as do not really
train the horse, but simply scare them
into xubjection. Such fakirs give a
show that. as a show, is no doubt worth
the price of admission. but the horses
are ruined. and the moment a fractions
horse has passed out of the realm az
straps and clubs he is worse than ever
tie fears men more than before, and
usually he is ruined for life Barthol-
omew. on the other hand, goes about
the work in a gentle manner that turns
al horSes' feelings into affection for
nan. and not fearing him. they 10 bis
bidding cheerfully- Kindness - the
real secret Of the wonderful sue
Jess of the horse magician