The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1897-05-21
ACCIDENT DUE To.BLINDS
Horse Plunges Into the River Be
cause 1t Cannot See.

Horse Plunges Into the River Be
cause 1t Cannot See.
Binders confuse a horse at the mo-
ment of danger and Increases the
chances of disaster. The animal which
in an accident at Chicago was hurled
into the river by the trolley car wore
blinders and there Is good reason to
believe that but for them Its life would
not have been sacrificed. 1t did not see
the car bearing it down from the rear
and when the collision actually came 1t
had no chance of seeing how best 1t
could save its life. The instinct OF self
preservation is as strong in horse as
1t is in a man, and it's knowledge of
what course of action means safety is
generally surer. The horse was at
tached to a heavy delivery wagon,
could not learn what force was 1mpel-
ling it to it's doom, and, dazed and
blinded, was deprived Of the use OF the
one power that might have meant sal
vation.
"Black Beauty" seer of all horses and
a teacher who-and the personal rela-
tive is used advisedly-has taught need
Ell l0SSOuS u uOISC-lONCA6 thS "OAAN
over, is made by his human interpreter
to speak on just this phase Of danger,
though more especially in reference to
the night.
81 consider" he says, that blinders
are dangerous things, especially In the
night. We horses can see much better
In the dark than man can, and many
an accident would never have hap
pened If horses might have had the full
use of their eyes. I remember there
was carriage with two horses return
ing one dark night, and just by the road
where the pond comes close the wheels
went too near the edge and the carriage
was overturned into the water; both
horses were drowned and the driver
hardly escaped. If these horses had
not been partially blinded they would
of themselves have kept farther from
the edge and no accident would have
happened. When our masters carriage
was overturned not long ago 1t was
said that If the lamp on the left side
had not gone out the coachman would
have seen the great hole the roadmak-
ers had left, and so he might, but If old
Colin had not had binders on he would
have seen it. lamp or no lamp, for he
was far too knowing an old horse to
run into danger. AS it was he was
very much hurt, the carriage was
broken and how the coachman escaped
nobody knows"
The conversation that follows is
taken from the book "Black Beauty"
and the place is pasture, with the
horses in conference:
"Can anyone tell me the use of blind
ersT' askes Black Beauty.
NO" said Sir Oliver, the hunter,
shortly, because they have no use"
"They are supposed" said Justice,
the cob, in his calm way, "to prevent
horses from shying and starting and
getting so frightened as to cause aeci-
DENTS"
'AThen, what Is the reason they do not
put them on riding horses, especially
on ladies' horses? interjected Black
Beauty.
There Is no reason at all,' said he,
quietly, Except the fashion. They say
that horse would be so frightened to
see the wheels of his own cart or car
rage behind him that he would be
sure to run away, though, Of course,
when he Is ridden he sees them all
about him If the streets are crowded.
I admit that they do sometimes come
too close to be pleasant, but we don't
run away; we are used to it, and If we
never had binders put on we should
never want them; we should see what
kas there. anG know what was what,
and be much less frightened than by
only seeing bits of things we can't un-
derstand."
st should say" said Ginger, curling
her nostril, "that these men who are so
wise had better give orders that in
future all foals should be born with
their eyes set just in the middle of
the foreheads instead Of at the side;
they always think they can improve
upon nature and mend what God has
made"