The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-10-20
LIVE STOCK.
DO HORSES BECOME INSANE ?

animals or men become insane. 1t may
be that because so many murderers
have been acquitted on the ground OF
insanity that he is disposed to deny
the existence of the calamity and call
it "ungovernable rage" He says: Il
admit the cases of ungovernable rage
in elephants, cattle, &c. I think cases
have also appeared in mankind" AS
'the rose by any other name would
smell as sweet" so insanity is terrible
malady of the mind, whether it be
called greatness, madness or ''ungov-
ernable rage"
According to the 18th Census, there
were in the Uuited States, on the first
of June, 1890, LOG, 254 persons reported
insane, So 264 males, and 50 $50 females
1918 white. and 6 535 colored.
There were 1897 insane persons to every
million of inhabitants. There were
enumerated at the same time nearly
Is, 900, 900 horses. These noble animals
are subject to some of the same mala-
dies as human beings. They have dis
eases of the stomach, bowels, kidneys,
lungs and head. They have mindsan
memories the same as mankind, and
nan of them have minds superior to
the minds of some men who claim to
be bright and exercise dominion over
them. Is it unreasonable to believe
that the minds of some horses become
deraDged7 Considering the cruel treat
ment many of them receive from their
drivers, is it not q wonder that more
of them do not get cr8zy7
L. B. says of my previous article:
''There is no evidence of insanity in
the cases adduced." Neither his opin
ion, nor mine, would have any weight
in a court of Justice unless we had been
called as experts, having had a long
experience in the care of insane horses.
Does he claim any such experienced
He says: 81 have owned three horses
within the last twenty years that
among them have exhibited nearly all
the traits spoken of by J. w. l. l do
not know that either one attacked the
boys in the pasture with such feTocity,
but one or another has exhibited every
other phase of the behavior men
toned" IF this is true, and I do not
question his veracity, then his mare
after having been driven four miles
from home with unexceptionable be
havinr, ed having been treated kindly,
refused to go towards home until she
got ready, and then wanted to go on a
run. On another occasion after having
been driven through the river in warm
weather, and several miles on the other
side, and behaving we'll until near the
home shore she stopped and refused TO
bulge for half an hour. Can he &C
count for such conduct On any prin
ciples rational enough to satisfy cred
ulous child7
His horse has some times "kicked
uncontroilably when the harness has
been put en- him. with no cause to be
discovered" Ny mare always kicked
just as uncontrollably when the har
ness was beipg taken eff. Why did
she DO that, if she was sane9 Did she
want to keep it on all night as a kind
of ornamental night gown, and to save
me the trouble of Harvesting her the
next morning, and herself the fatigue
Of trying to kick it of7
He owned lone mare OF u~nexception-
able behavior in the prime of her life
THAT kicked some times in harness in
her old age" Now everyone knows
that such changes of character and
duct in them are uncommon, that
when they have been well broken, and
arrived at maturity their characters
become established, and when he wants
to sell one, he can safely recommend it
as being true to draw and kind and
gentle at all times, if such be the case.
"Train up a child in the way he should
go and when he is old he will not de
part from it" is just as true when ap
piled to horses as to children.
L B knows his mare was not insane,
'tor once when geared to a cart she
kicked her heels against the cross bar
until, concluding the injury was all on
her side, she desisted." Does he think
an insane mare would have continued
to kick until she had kicked her shoes
off, and worn her legs out clear up to
her knees, before she desisted9 knew
an insane man who used to strike the
door Of the house where he was con-
fined with his fist, but he did not con
tinue his blows long enough to batter
the door down, or destroy his fist. The