Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-07-04
THE FOOL HORSE.
AN UNAVOIDABLE VIEW OF
MANS BEST FRIEND

Years and Unless You Speak 70
Him He Wont Know You.
To- successfully handle and safely
use horses, a proper appreciation of
their mental and moral attributes is
viUally necessary.
Imprimis, the horse is a coward
nature made him so-an unreasoning
| coward, who fears everything with
which he is unfamiliar, nothing, how
ever horrible, to which association
has accustomed him; a creature given
| over to sudden and uncomfortable
panics, and in their paroxysms stop
ping at no injury TO self or TO those
who cherish him. His oyerpowering
instinct in such cases is fight:
frequently, but not always, associated
with a determination to clear him
self from any hampering surround
ings. He has no feelings of re-
venge, unless trained to cunning by
| the abuse or the mistakes of man
kind, and, when these prevail he rare
lly wreaks his vengeance upon any
particular individual, but upon human
| ity in general, with no regard for
age or sex.
Cowardice manifests itself in equine
connection in many ways-with one
| it is terror of the dark, which will
make him kick his stall all night, do
ing himself possibly serious injury,
| yet in nine cases out Of ten, a light
left in the stable will SO completely
reassure him that he will not lift
| foot. Another is alarmed at blowing
paper, yet stands yawning while can
non are fired in his face. 1t is this
very attribute 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 thoroughly deceived and
| inundated, the useful servant we find
him: not a willing slave, but one
who fears to tempt reprisals which
have always proved effective, and who
labors for us because he has been
made to do so and fears to rebel.
The horse is an animal of one idea
his brain can concentrate itself up
on but one thing at time. 1t is this
| peculiarly which renders it so vitalIy
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 usage of
riding and driving the animal who
is not paying attention to US is never
under complete control, and it is for
| this reason that so many accidents
happen to children with their ponies,
and to women who use horses, for
| their male relatives or instructors
never-or rarely-impress upon them
this vitality important detail. Look
where you may, you will find ample
demonstration of the fact that the
| one idea always sways the animal.
Why should handful of earth placed
in the mouth, or a twist of the ear,
Or string sawed back and forth
| gently round the leg, or any one of
| dozens of other eXpedients start a
| balky horse? Why does horse led
from his burning stable rush back
through the flames to die in his own
stall? Why does the animal work
for us at all? Why does he run head
long upon frightful injury in his
stampedes? The one idea excludes
all others-the novelty OF dirt, etc.,
puts the obstinacy out of his head,
the one idea of the protection always
afforded in the stall dominates any
fear of injury from fire, the one
idea that resistance is hopeless makes
him do his work, the one idea of ter
ror blinds him as thoroughly mental
ly as OFFICIALLY.
You may act as chambermaid, valet
and pedicure to a horse for twenty
years, and, if you do not speak to
him he will not know you from
total stranger. You may fancy that
your cherished Madcap or Mischief
| knows your touch, and the special
pet words you employ, but neither of
them will do anything for you they
will not also as willingly do for an
other, provided he has your tone of
voice and your assertive powers.
Words mean nothing to any horse,
and you may say go away or
| Good morning" when you mean
| Come here with the same effect,
| provided you use the tones and ges-
lures you employ in the latter COM
| mand. Bugle calls, as of cavalry, are
| some of them, recognized, but always
| those which are associated in the
equine brain with mental excitement
Or physical activity, as the charge"
or the post call at the racetrack, etc.
Sense of smell in the horse does
| not seem to turn him against his
human enemies, although it does
| against all other foes. You may beat
your horse nearly to death today and
| tomorrow, or in twenty minutes he
will be as fearless of you as of any
| other biped, just as you may care.
for him for twenty years and he will
not know you from a stranger. 1t
is probable that all mankind are so
repugnant to him, and their aroma
so invariably unpleasant, that he
| schools himself to disregard this
sense. The average plains pony is
said to be in horror of the scent of
an Indian (and in this he may not
be isolated), yet an Indian pony is
| equally distrustful of the white man,