The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-09
A HORSES IDIOsYNcRAsrEs.
The Cars DO Not brighten Him and
His Pet Aversion il n White Cow.

HIS fet Aversion Is n White Cow.
From the Boston Transcript.
I like your views about the intelli-
gence and benevOlence Of horses writes
friend. but 1 should like 10 have some
OF the proceedings OF my horse Jerry ac-
counted for I bought him last summer OF
man who seemed to have been entirely
kind to him. The horses chief recon-
mendaron 10 me was that he could not
De frightened by trains or any loud noise,
ana this was a great recommendation,
because i had Just been through two run
Always on the part Of very nice and gentle
and pretty horses. and i was determined
70 get horse. IL possible. under whom
a gun might be fired without frightening
him. l am sure that Jerry would fulhil
that condition; and ] have no doubt that
a head-on collision Of express trains
might take place within ten feet of his
nose without attracting the smallest at
tention from him. Just the same, my
brave Jerry is MORALLY afraid OF white
COWS. However. in the dreadful emer
gency of an encounter with a white COW
on the road he is cOntrOllable. so that
II has led me into some speculations as
10 the nature and limitations of a horse
intelligence. II is in the direction OF an
other popularity that 1 wish TO make an
inquiry of you.
But first l must tell you how really
smart Jerry is. He viii come and put his
nose into the halter when 1 hold it out to
him; he will back unguided into the shafts
or a buggy or sleigh; he will step forward
OF bdtAWaIu OF SlNeWl@e Just as InNCn as
You tell him to- and with regard 10 the
ordinary affairs Of life he shows almost
the power of reason. For instance, the
Manager in my stable is very shallow, and
Jerry found out that the hay put into II
often fell out and forward into the barn
floor, where he could not reach il. After
studying this phenomenon while, ne
iell into the way OF roofing the nay out
of the manger into his stall, where he
can reach it; and not q spear of 1t now
escapes him. / watched this proceeding
until I became
purpOsely, and with the knowledge that
he could in this way prevent the hay from
"But now to the point Why is 1t that
an animal that has so much sense as this
one should insist on biting at any one
and every one who attempts to buckle
girth around him? This he will do every
day; and whoever harnesses him must look
out for his teeth. II you take the whip
and hold 1t over your arm while harness
ing, Jerry will not bite, but Will look at
you all the time out of the tail ofhis eye,
as we say in ireland, and appear very
meek and harmless, as if he never thought
Of such a thing as objecting to girth.
Also, If you are much on your guard and
speak to him with dire threats in your
tone he will withhold his teeth; but neg
lect these hostile demonstrations and he
will nip you. He carries his prejudice
against girths to such an extent that he
will bite at me when l am buckling a
consider the hight of ingratitude. 1t also
makes him fighting mad to curry him In
the neghborhood of his backbone But
he will suffer his legs TO be scratched at
will or held up in the air; and after he has
bitten viciously at me he will sometimes
lay his nose on my cheek in the most af-
fectionate manner. l have learned, as
you will infer, to suspect those Judas-like
demonstrations of affection, knowing well
that he will bite me If he can when I APP
roach him with q girth
Now, if this horse has the Intelligence
that he seems to have, why has he not
learned by this time that / mean well to
him, that 1 will not abuse him. and that
he and 1 can live on entirely amicable
terms If he is willing, without any display
of teeth on one side or of whips on the
other2 Also, wouldn't II show the fine
equine intelligence in a better light if he
recognized the general harmlessness of
white coWs?"