The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-10-27
TEMPTATIONS OF THE HORSE

An Anlnal or One ldea at a Time ana
 Many Peculiarities.
 The horse is an unreasoning coward, who fears everything with which he is unfamiliar; nothing, however horrible, to which association has accustomed him; a creature given over to sudden and uncomfortable panics, and in their paraoxysms stopping at no injury to self or to those who cherish him. His overpowering instinct in such cases is flight, frequently, but not always, as- sociated with determination to cellar himself from any hampering surround ings. He has no feelings of revenge, unless trained to cunning by the abuse or the mistakes of mankind and when these prevail he rarely wreaks his vengeance upon any particular in- dividual, but upon humanity in general, with no regard for age or sex.
 The sentiment of revenge is so usu- ally associated with cowardice that 1t may almost be classed as a phase of that instinct. Cowardice manifests itself in equine connection in many ways-with one it is terror of the dark, which make him kick his stall all night doing himself possibly serious injury, yet in nine cases out of ten a light left in the stable will So completely reas- sure him that he will not lift foot Another is alarmed at blowing porper, yet stands yawning while cannon are fired in his face. It is this very attri- bute of cowardice which enables us to handle the animal as we do; to train him to our will and for our purpose; which makes him, once he is thorough ly deceived and intiniidated, the useful servant we find him; not a willing slave, but one who fears to tempt re- prisals which have always proved effective; and who 1abors for us be- cause he has been made to do so and fears to rebel Give to the most docile the idea that he may successfully dis obey, and, prestol you shall discover 1 another attribute of the coward-for your steed forthwith becomes a bully, and a very dangerous one since each little act of rebellion which succeeds | awakens him to the idea that he need not obey and that in power and Will he is a superior. Forthwith disaster impends.
 ' The horse is an animal of one idea his brain can concentrate itself upon but on e thing at a time. It is this peculiarity whichrenders it so vitally important that in training him we should have his whole attention-if we do not keep it our work is void Even in the ordinary usuage of riding and driving the animal who is not paying attention to us is never under com plete control, and it is for this reason that so many accidents happen to children with their ponies and to wo- men who use horses; for their male re- latives or instructors never or impress upon them this vltally important de- tail. Look where you may you will find ample demonstration of the fact that the one idea always the animal Why should a handful of earth placed in the mouth, or a twist of the ear, or a string sawed back forth gently around leg, or any dozens of other S-NpSN'iOlAtS Sbolb et Ue1lhy .ilVl lSC' W II y does a horse led from his burning stable rush back through the flames tc die in his own stall? Why does the animal work for us at all? Why doe, he run headlong upon frightful injury in his stampedes? The one idea ex- cludes all others-the novelty of dirt &c., puts the obstinacy out of his head the one idea of the protection always afforted in the stall dominates any fear of injury from fire; the one ides that resistance is hopeles makes hin do his work; the one idea of terroi blinds him as thoroughly mentally a: optically. Were he more perfectly equipped as to his mental powers wt could probably never handle him at al jus as, were he really as. personally affectionate as we fancy him, he woul( prove an internal nuisance by insisting upon taking us to ride when we want
 cd to read, or by sitting in our lap
 whenever we visited the stable!
 You may act as chamber.
 maid, valet and pedicure to a horse fo
 twenty years, and if you do not speal to him he will not knew you from { total stranger. You may fancy tha youy cherished 'Madcap" or "Mischief'