The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1904-09-30
RUNAWAY HORSES

During the past week | have seen
two ruuaways. one of which narrow /
~ missed fatal CONSEQUENCES and the /
other barely escaped very serious re- |
suits Each Of them gave proof of |
the general incompetence OF drivers I
in such emergencies and the COM f.
muu lack of ability to render assis- |
tauca on the part OF eve witnesses.
. 1t 50 happens that | have been in I
many .rtIudway accidents. and es- /
caped without scratch. / have [
seen many more aud been so fOrtu- /.
nate as to render assistance to per
sons unable to assist themselves. II
am therefore moved to offer IA few
suggestions. founded on soms-kuowl- /
edge Of horses. and considerable ac-
-ual experience with this common
class Of accidents
] wish to insist. in tn" first place.
ia Justice. To the horse and as the
key To the prevention OF these occur
gpuces. that nine tenths 81 all ruua-
ways result from the palpable care
Iassuess Of the driver. Akin to this
condition, indeed most common
cause for it. is the habit OF many
drivers Of putting implicit confidence
in an animal about which they really
know nothing. The first suggestion
make j.. to treat every hired horse,
and every animal You are called on
~ drive. with suspicion till he has
demonstrated his claim to cOuil-
denct. in your own experience. not
on some one elsrs report. Most
horses viii! earn this confidence, il
given a chaucr; few never will.
You have no means VI distinguishing
between them. and are nut Justified
in taking chances. This treatment
does not imply more than reasonable
caution. Hitch every horse even for
A moment. unless YOU know positive
Iy that he will stand, like a craven
image under all possible proyocati9n
70 start. Expose no horse To the
sudden sight Of rail road train, till
you know positively that it will give
/ him no fright. Handle whips and
umbrellas with care till their iHtiu-
ence on the horse Is demonstrated.
4 Approach UNUSUAL sights and sounds
with canton till your horse shows
! his lack OF nervousness. Keep the
r-ius we'll in hand ready for All
emergency. and never get into We
hrcle or mount to saddle. till you
are sure that the horse is properly
equipped and hirched up ODscr-
vance Of these simple precautions
( would prey rnt at least one half of all
ruuawavs.
There are runawavs which no pre-
caution can prevent When such al
/ one occurs. what is to be done? A
. knowledge Of horse traits supplies
/ considerable information useful in
such EMERGENCIES.
There are really very. very few
vicious horses. Most runaway
/ horses are frightened, as badly
frightened as their most helpless
drivers. Their only effort is to get
away from something which has in
suirrd them with terror. The horse
| il 81 constituted that me is unable 60
think of more than one thing at ii
time. When frightened. the thing
which frightened him has his entire
thought. He can think Of nothing
bnr the terror. His sole aim is to get
away from it. He becomes deaf and
blind from his fear He sees no
common objects. fears 10 personal
ipinry -Xcrpr from the thing which
rrirhf-lpd linn. He blindlv runs in
In trres and walls in mis- desperate
Efforts to escape from the terror
from which he is fleeing.
The first effort Of the driver. there
fnr1 should be- directed toward this
horse trait. Make him think OF
something beside the one terror.
sneak 10 him. Don't scream. nor
sFonr whoa" at the top OF your
voice. but call the name OF the
horse, if YOU know it. let him know
thnt Won are with him aud expect
him IN obey. In his frightened con-
ditiOu he will recognize the voice OF
his master more quickly than any
thing else. II you can once get MIN
10 realize that you are sptahlh5 30
him. the chances are that ne Will
soon come TO his SENSES ana pe un-
der control. The effort toward Ills
-ud should he persisted IN. Inc
next thing. is to prevent ms realizing
that h- il not under control. How
ever much he may he beyond con-
troll. keep the relgns tlEht ana dI-
rect his course. He Will be Steered
long after he refuses To be stopped
With reasonable road even urge
him on, Insist on his going faster,
even use the whip mildly. He Will
soon realize that he is not all by
himself. running away, but that fla
.miliar' things are being done TO nm
as evidence of authority, This au-
thority he will quickly recognIze
and if you have kept him free from
obstacles and the tackle holds hl'
race comes to aquick and harmless
end.
Never Jump from a vehicle behInC
runaway horse. The most serlou'
accidents are nearly always the r.
suit of this mistake.
%ext to the inability Of horses t,
,tbint of hnt one thing at time
-. ,,,.i,..,..al ,E.rar rariStit