The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1897-05-12
REAL HORSE SENSE.
STORIES OF EQUINE INTELLIGENCE
BY A COUNTRY DOCTOR.

Inc country doctor Is expected To 20
Whenever called-rain or shine, heat or
cold, night or day; sometimes, perhaps,
leisurely, but often AS quickly as posi-
bic. Through nll this his horse and
himself arc constant companions and
share together the joys and the SORROWS
of tho road. Ii is not strange, therefore,
that an attachment of moro than ordi-
nary intensity often springs mp between
them, during which tho man notes tho
almost human qualities of the horse
Whilo quito boy I knew horse of
gave mo high opinion of horses in
general Somehow the tricks of old Ball
led mo to consider horses as almost OF
kin to human beings. and have always
talked to them and treated them nc
cordingly. Ball. n fine animal belong
ing TO my uncle, who lived on farm
adjoining ours. was II sorrol horse of
good si2o and especially flno head. with
heavy neck and shoulders. He had done
great deal of farm work i'll his time.
but WAS now too old for anything but
occasional light service. so he usually
Ind tho range of pasture i'll front of
tho house, that reached up to the yard
fence. There were cattle and sheep i'll
the same pasture.
Ball was noted for his cunning and
clever tricks. such as opening gates and
doors, pulling down bars and the like,
but no one suspected him of playing
practical jokes on sheep when one after
another was found ON the wrong side
of tho fence. 1t was by his unties and
evident delight whenever IL sheep was
10 found that he attracted attention. A
watch was instituted, and soon, when
Ball thought no ono saw him, he slyly
picked up IL sheep by the wool with his
teeth and dropped 1t over tho fence.
Then, going away some distance. he
anxiously waited, evidently watching
for some one to Come out of the house.
Az soon M he saw TINT tho sheep was
discovered he gave IA snort and began to
run and kick up his heels with delight.
Sometimes he would steal articles
and hide them, evidently just for tho
| fun of the thing. Ono day heavy
maui, such M is used for splitting rails
and wood, was left SO near the fence
that he could reach it. When ho sup
posed that no one saw him, he took the
maui up with his teeth, carried it &c
tho farther side Of the field, carefully
hid it behind the stump of tree, ant
then watched the result. This time h,
had been seen carrying the maui away
so tho men made great ado, pretending
to bo hunting for it, looking in til,
fence corners and bohind stumpa, Will,
Ball was Iunning. snorting ana kicking
up his heels with unhoundcd delight
Whenever they approached the maui
he tried to attract their attention to
some other point.
Whilo l have been engaged III the
practice of medicine my horses have
had no opportunity to perform tricks
like these, but many times | have seen
exhibitions of intelligence and humor
no less marked
! have known many horses that show
ed n good degree of humor ns we'll as in
telligence, but for good sense | think
|
er. lIo was years old when traded
| for him
When he first came into my posses.
sion, he had the habit of frequently
throwing his head up, and ns his bride
was somewhat loose, tho brow band
would sometimes lodge upon his ear.
Whenever this happened | would stop
him, get out of the buggy and replace
| it. lilo soon learned to throw tho band
up whenever he would like to stop and
be petted little. l might have pre-
vented this ut once by making the bri-
die fit better, but il occurred to me that,
with this beginning, might soon teach
him to stop when anything else got
wrong, and this did, so that the least
disarrangemcnt of the harness would
cause him TO stop and wait to have it
fixed. Sometimes, however, he would
stop when the trouble was not, in my
opinion, sufficient to warrant 80 eau
| tious a procedure.
ono day. IA / was driving along Mt II
slow trot over II smooth. lonesome road
| had dropped the reins over the buggy
apron and was becoming quito inter
cstcd III the reading of II newspaper
when Frank suddenly stopped. / looked
all around and over him, but could see
nothing wrong, 80 | said, with some
emphasis "Get up, Frankl" But ho
still stood and kept throwing his head
sp and down. AS ! sat there with the
paper in my hand | looked again, and
especially to the bride, but saw nothing
wrong. | now, without taking up the
reins, took the whip from its socket and,
giving him II sharp cut, repeated my
command to 90 along, This undeserved
punishment nettled him very much, but
still he would not move forward. After
standing for few moments, as if il
deep thought, he suddenly turned to the
right until tho wheel ON that side
touched the buggy. Then again he stoot
stock still, only throwing his head rs
before. Low took up the reins and
pulled with shc left hand TO bring hin
back into the road, when, to my aston
ishmcnt, | found that the rein ON that
side, which bad been fastened with Il
snap was unsnapped.
Whom | got out to fasten it, Frank
squcaled. believe a horse never squeals
unless he is excited. never heard
Frank squeal before, but now he not
only squealod, but shook his head, paved
the ground and manifested his delight
by every means that he could command.
As we aftorward moved along home
ward several times. rs the thought
would come to his mind afresh, he would
shake his head and squeal for joy
Youths Companion
By Canoe From Coast to Coast.