Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-08-19


We value Inc horse TOR Ills speed and
endurance: yet had II not been for lie
chief ancestor OF our faithful friend the
dog-l C., the grim, gray wolf Of lan'
rope and Asia with his everlasting
hunger ana untiring Eulop~the Mlld
horses which hwarncd over ne great
plains OF the old world and from which
all our modern nteeis have SPRUNG,
would never have developed the Bwiit.
moss and staying powers they pueschaod
and have transmitted to their desecn-
dnntH
Tie wolves aud The Wild horses were
constantly NJ war, ana, moreover, the
wolf was the only predatory benht OK
isting IN ancient times which was able
TO pursue tho horaea aud hunt them
down out on the open atep9e Ihc
Ralloping power Of the horse was mus
undoubtedly developed TO- enable him
to escape these gaunt persistent ioeA.
SO certain does this appear 10 me, that
] never see d wolf In a menngerie with
out feeling inclined to raise my hat TO
him and thank him for many an cSs
hlaratlnr Rallop on horseback. " his
hluodthirsty furefhthura had never eG-
iHtod there would have been little to
choose between tho horse ana the
donkey,
II must be borne in mind, says n
writer In North American Review. that
% day. from year 20 year and from
century TO century. during immense
epOchB before ever the first Wild horse
wns lassoed by mcn. II Heemn strange
that this long and bitter feud between
the equidae and the eanidHe should
now be almost entirely forgotten,
Horses seldom SNOW an iunilnutiYe en-
nifty TO dogs IN the same way that
cattle do. Probably this Is because
they are 10 closely associated together
IN their common state OF aervitude Ia
man, Tho horse ls On Intelligent AMI
mai, and readily finds out who are his
friends, Probably. also. whom Wild he
had little fear Of Hlnaic wolf, for lie
has plenty Of courage and IL a sklllful
lghfer with hoofs and teeth Occn-
aionaily. however. tho old dread and
enmlty crop up. l have known young
horses, when surrounded by pack OF
fox hounds for the nret time. 10 be-
come almost frantic with fear.
We know that the horses Wild fore
~ =, ti',g1-IT the free muftangs, inhabit-
cd the ~ ~ 'r1ptod chiefly
to their spera 90 s.vayv 4 n their
cncmiea This becomes all the =
evident when we examine young
foal All young oreatlNss tend 20 res
sembic the earlier types from which
the race has sprung more than the
adults do, Tho legs or the foui are
enormously developed from birth 10
looks ahHurily like a horse on stills.
and WHOM four or i've days old he can
gnllop almost MS fast M he aver will
"a his NE. He holds his head w
boldly ana never tries 10 stink away
and hide, Ike q young calf or fnwn.
whose ancestors dwelt IN The forests.
There ~ a story that n thoroughbred
foai Of about month old once bent a.
race horse over a half-milG courHe.
! His dam was a mare celebrated for
her speed, and she had Jockey on
her back. She outstripped The rival
horse. and her lnngieEgcd offsprine
l kept level with her with cage.
II you watch how young colt takes
{ his noufishnent you VIII see that his
habits tell the same story. He never
takes fuli meal In the way that a
I young calf d0er. but keeps constantly
running TO his mother ana refreshing
himself every few minutes. This
shows. nfHt, that Il ~ not hia custom 10
be- long nbHcnt from his dam, as are
young animals which lie hidden among
( The thicketr while their parents 10 10
seek food. n shows secondly. that bis
stomach is never 80 loaded With a meal
ar 10 hinder his running ppwera, which
wcFe aii-iriportant when the youngest
member o. the band had 10 keep Up
with the rest IN their night from wolves
or other enemieA Again. colt when
] he iieH down, does not curl himself up
~ a small compass. as n 10 escape OBJ
tergatlOu. after the hashfnl manner pf
I the calf, but extends his long limbs
consplcuouaiy-