Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-12-04
HORSES HAVE NO BRAINS.
Are Guided by instinct Alone, Says
One Who Trains Them i'm
Circus.

My word for it, horse has less
brain power than any other animal,
said Edward Shipp, circus horse
trainer, according to New York ex-
change. An ostrich has more sense
than horse; so has an alligator. That
curious, indefinite quantity known as
instinct is at the bottom of all the
tricks the horse learns. Just as he cats
from instinct, he learns tricks. Usual
ly the eating is at the bottom OF his
entire education. He does things for
the most part because he gets some
thing good to eat after the doing. 1t is
his natural search after food that
makes him do them, just as he paws
away the snow to get at the grass
After while the actions becomes hab-
it's, and we will say he is broken
Nothing of the sort. There was
| never anything to break. His instincts
were simply set in motion. Some men
take months to teach horse the sim
plest trick and weeks to make him bri-
die wise. In week l can have the
same horse responding to my direction
in simple tricks It isn't the horse; it's
/ the trainer. Some men exercise an In
fuence over animals which is almost
hypnotic. The man himself can't tell
how it is done. In some mysterious
manner the horses instincts make him
do certain things in certain ways at
certain times. He does them just as
he eats, and with no more evidence OF
judgment
'It is no uncommon thing for horse
to open the feed box to get at the grain
inside. Some people fancy this is a
proof of intelligence. Really it is natu-
raj nosing after something to eat Man
is not the only animal whose heart can
best be reached through his stomach.
There is not the slightest reason to be-
lieve that the horse has thinking
mind Here is an instance:
During the winter two of our ponies
that do a pedestal act and always get
lump of sugar for 1t If they make no
mistakes, rehearsed so much their ped
estals became dun co1ored from dirt.
When we came into Madison Square
Garden to perform the little platforms
were reprinted What do you think
those ponies did? They refused to act.
tasks they looked and shifted at the
new pedestals and didn't make move
ment in the direction of their usual
performance. 1t wasn't intelligence
that made them act thus. The same
Jumps of sugar were waiting at the
end. They simply hadn't sense enough
to know their own implements in
white paint. If horse is taught to go
through red door he will have to be
taught all over again to go through a
white one All doors do not look alike
to him.
But a horse has nerves, plenty of
them Sometimes I think it is more
these little electric wires than anything
else that makes him amenable to teach
ing. Imagine, then, the skill a trainer
must possess to train creatures with
nerves, but no logic, SO far as am able
to see.
''It takes patience such as any man
may own to. Also courage. An enraged
horse is redoubtable foe, as is any
creature of temper with no good sense
to back it. Any one who has ever seen
human idiot in a rage can understand
the situation. There is nothing more
horrible than blind, unreasoning, I'M
guided temper. Creatures of nerves
are also creatures of fear. Kindness
must be exercised at all times in order
to overcome it. Until a horse Is I'M
afraid he is valueless."