This animal is now only known in a domestic state, or, if wild, but as
the offspring of domestic varieties. Most countries possess races of
this animal peculiar to themselves. The finest breed is that of Arabia.
The horse may be considered the most valuable of all the brute creation
to man. He combines strength, speed, and docility, beyond any other
animal. The wild herds in the western regions, Mexico, and South
America, are sprung from horses brought into the country by the
Spaniards.
The Arabian horse is a hardy animal, "left exposed," says
Chateaubriand, "to the most intense heat of the sun, tied by the four
legs to stakes set in the ground, and refreshed generally only once in
the twenty-four hours. Yet," continues the same writer, "release his
legs from the shackles, spring upon his back, and he will paw in the
valley; he will rejoice in his strength; he will swallow the ground in
the fierceness of his rage, and you recognize the original picture of
Job."
_Miscellaneous Anecdotes._--The Arab has a strong affection for his
horse; nor is it wonderful, when we consider that he is his support and
comfort--his companion through many a dreary day and night, enduring
hunger and thirst in his service. From their constant community, a kind
of sociality of feeling exists between them. The terms in which he
addresses his horse are thus given by Clarke: "Ibrahim went frequently
to Rama to inquire news of the mare, whom he dearly loved; he would
embrace her, wipe her eyes with his handkerchief, would rub her with
his shirt sleeves, would give her a thousand benedictions during whole
hours that he would remain talking to her. 'My eyes! my soul! my
heart!' he would say; 'must I be so unfortunate as to have thee sold to
many masters, and not keep thee myself? I am poor, my antelope! I
brought thee up in my dwelling as a child; I did never beat nor chide
thee.'" But the poverty of the Arabs, and the desire of foreigners to
possess their horses, frequently compel them to do what they so much
deprecate--to sell their horse. A horse he may be tempted by a large
sum to part with, but to sell a mare is a heart-rending trial to an
Arab. "When the envoy," says Sir John Malcolm, "was encamped near
Bagdad, an Arab rode a bright bay mare, of extraordinary shape and
beauty, before his tent, until he attracted his attention. On being
asked if he would sell her, 'What will you give me?' was the reply.
'That depends upon her age; I suppose she is past five.' 'Guess again,'
said he. 'Four?' 'Look at her mouth,' said the Arab, with a smile. On
examination, she was found to be rising three. This, from her size and
symmetry, greatly enhanced her value. The envoy said, 'I will give you
fifty _tomans_,' (a coin nearly of the value of a pound sterling.)
'A little more, if you please,' said the fellow, a little entertained.
'Eighty--a hundred.' He shook his head and smiled. The officer at last
came to two hundred tomans. 'Well,' said the Arab, 'you need not tempt
me further. You are a rich _elchee_, (nobleman;) you have fine horses,
camels, and mules, and I am told you have loads of silver and gold.
Now,' added he, 'you want my mare; but you shall not have her for all
you have got.'"
Nor does the Arabian horse fail to repay the attachment of his master.
It not only flies with him over the desert, but, when he lies down to
sleep, the faithful animal will browse on such herbage as is near the
spot; will watch its master with solicitude; and, if a man or animal
approaches, will neigh loudly till he is awakened. "When I was at
Jerusalem," says Chateaubriand, "the feats of one of these steeds made
a great noise. The Bedouin to whom the animal, a mare, belonged, being
pursued by the governor's guards, rushed with him from the top of the
hills that overlooked Jericho. The mare scoured at full gallop down an
almost perpendicular declivity without stumbling, and left the soldiers
lost in admiration and astonishment. The poor creature, however,
dropped down dead on entering Jericho; and the Bedouin, who would not
quit her, was taken, weeping over the body of his faithful companion.
Ali Aga religiously showed me, in the mountains near Jericho, the
footsteps of the beast that died in the attempt to save her master!"
The powers of the horse, as evinced in certain cases, appear almost
incredible. At four o'clock in the morning, a gentleman was robbed at
Gadshill, on the west side of Chatham, England, by a highwayman named
Nicks, who rode a bay mare. Nicks set off instantly for Gravesend,
where he was detained nearly an hour by the difficulty of getting a
boat--an interval which he employed to advantage in baiting his horse.
From thence he got to Essex and Chelmsford, where he again stopped
about half an hour, to refresh his horse. He then went to Braintree,
Bocking, Westerfield, and over the downs to Cambridge, and, still
pursuing the cross roads, he went to Huntingdon, where he again rested
about half an hour. Proceeding now on the north road, and at full
gallop most of the way, he arrived at York the same afternoon, put off
his boots and riding clothes, and went dressed to the bowling-green,
where, among other promenaders, happened to be the lord mayor of the
city. He there studied to do something particular, that his lordship
might remember him, and, asking what o'clock it was, the mayor informed
him that it was a quarter past eight. Upon prosecution for the robbery,
the whole safety of the prisoner rested upon this point. The gentleman
swore positively to the time and place; but, on the other hand, the
proof was equally clear of his being at York at the time specified. The
jury acquitted him on the supposed impossibility of his having got so
great a distance from Kent by the time he was seen in the
bowling-green. Yet it appeared afterwards that he was the robber, and
had performed this feat of horsemanship to escape conviction.
Very extraordinary performances of the horse, in swimming, are on
record. A violent gale of wind, at the Cape of Good Hope, setting in
from north and northwest, a vessel in the road dragged her anchors, was
forced on the rocks, and bilged; and, while the greater part of the
crew fell an immediate sacrifice to the waves, the remainder were seen,
from the shore, struggling for their lives by clinging to the different
pieces of the wreck. The sea ran dreadfully high, and broke over the
sailors with such amazing fury that no boat whatever could venture off
to their assistance. Meanwhile a planter, considerably advanced in
life, had come from his farm to be a spectator of the shipwreck. His
heart melted at the sight of the unhappy seamen; and, knowing the bold
and enterprising spirit of his horse, and his particular excellence as
a swimmer, he instantly determined to make a desperate effort for their
deliverance. He alighted, and blew a little brandy into his horse's
nostrils, and again seating himself in the saddle, he instantly pushed
into the midst of the breakers. At first both disappeared; but it was
not long before they floated on the surface, and swam up to the wreck;
when, taking with him two men, each of whom held by one of his boots,
he brought them safe to shore. This perilous expedition he repeated no
less than seven times, and saved fourteen lives; but, on his return the
eighth time, his horse being much fatigued, and meeting a most
formidable wave, he lost his balance, and was overwhelmed in a moment.
The horse swam safely to land, but his gallant rider was no more!
The effects of habit and discipline upon the horse are exemplified by
the following anecdotes:--An old cavalry horse has been known to stop,
in the midst of a rapid gallop, on hearing the word _Halt_, uttered by
an officer in the ranks. The Tyrolese, in one of their insurrections in
1809, took fifteen Bavarian horses, on which they mounted as many of
their own soldiers. A rencounter occurring with a squadron of the
regiment of Bubenhoven, these horses, on hearing the trumpet and
recognizing the uniform of their corps, set off at full gallop, and
carried their riders, in spite of all their resistance, into the midst
of the Bavarian ranks, where they were made prisoners.
Previously to the erection of the cavalry barracks in Glasgow, the
detachment of horse for the west of Scotland was sometimes divided
between Hamilton and Kilmarnock. Those assigned to the latter place,
having been sent to the fine grass fields in the vicinity of Loudon
Castle, presented on one occasion a most striking appearance. The day
was heavy and sultry; the thunder, which had at first been heard only
at a distance, began to increase in loudness and frequency, and drew
the marked attention of the horses. As it still became more loud, and
the numerous peals, echoed along the extensive slopes of Galston Moor,
crept along the water of the Irvine, or were reverberated through the
woods, the horses became animated with the same enthusiasm which seizes
them on hearing the rolling sounds emitted from numerous cannon. They
rushed together, and, rapidly arranging themselves in their accustomed
ranks, presented the front of a field of battle.
In the following case, related by Professor Kruger, of Halle, the horse
has rivalled the most remarkable examples of the sagacity and fidelity
of the dog. "A friend of mine," says he, "who was, one dark night,
riding home through a wood, had the misfortune to strike his head
against the branch of a tree, and fell from his horse stunned by the
blow. The horse immediately returned to the house they had left, which
stood about a mile distant. He found the door closed--the family had
retired to bed. He pawed at the door, till one of them, hearing the
noise, arose and opened it, and, to his surprise, saw the horse of his
friend. No sooner was the door opened than the horse turned round; and
the man, suspecting there was something wrong, followed the animal,
which led him directly to the spot where his master lay on the ground
in a fainting fit."
A horse in England, among other bad propensities, constantly resented
the attempts of the groom to trim his fetlocks. This circumstance had
been mentioned in a conversation, during which a young child, a very
few years old, was present, when its owner defied any man to perform
the operation singly. The father, next day, in passing through the
stable-yard, beheld, with the utmost distress, the infant employed,
with a pair of scissors, in clipping the fetlocks of the hind legs of
this vicious hunter--an operation which had been always hitherto
performed with great danger, even by a number of men. But the horse, in
the present case, was looking with the greatest complacency on the
little groom, who soon after, to the very great relief of his father,
walked off unhurt.
A gentleman in Bristol had a greyhound which slept in the same stable,
and contracted a very great intimacy, with a fine hunter. When the dog
was taken out, the horse neighed wistfully after him; he welcomed him
home with a neigh; the greyhound ran up to the horse and licked him;
the horse, in return, scratched the greyhound's back with his teeth. On
one occasion, when the groom had the pair out for exercise, a large dog
attacked the greyhound, bore him to the ground, and seemed likely to
worry him, when the horse threw back his ears, rushed forward, seized
the strange dog by the back, and flung him to a distance.
That the horse is much affected by musical sounds, must be evident to
every one who has paid attention to its motions, and the expression of
its countenance, while listening to the performances of a military
band. It is even said that, in ancient times, the Libyan shepherds were
enabled to allure to them wild horses by the charms of music. That this
is at least not entirely improbable, is evident from an experiment made
by a gentleman, in the year 1829, on some of the Duke of Buccleuch's
hunters. The horses being shy of his approach, and, indeed, retreating
from it, he sounded a small musical instrument, called the mouth Eolian
harp. On hearing it, they immediately erected their heads, and turned
round. On his again sounding it, they approached nearer him. He began
to retreat, and they to follow. Having gone over a paling, one of the
horses came up to him, putting its mouth close to his breast, and
seemingly delighted with the sounds which he continued to produce. As
the other horses were coming up, apparently to follow the example of
their more confident comrade, the gentleman retired.
A farmer in England, on his way home one evening, having drank rather
hard at an alehouse, could not keep an erect position on his horse, and
rolled off the animal into the road. His horse stood still; but, after
remaining patiently for some time, and not perceiving any disposition
in his rider to get up and proceed farther, he took him by the collar
and shook him. This had little or no effect, for the farmer only gave a
grumble of dissatisfaction at having his repose disturbed. The horse
was not to be put off with any such evasion, and so he applied his
mouth to one of his coat-laps, and after several attempts, by dragging
at it, to raise him upon his feet, the coat-lap gave way. Three
individuals who witnessed this extraordinary proceeding then went up,
and assisted in putting him on his horse, putting the one coat-lap into
the pocket of the other, when the horse trotted off and safely reached
home. He was said to be very fond of his master, and to gambol with him
like a dog.
As a gentleman was proceeding from a survey at Fort Augustus to his own
house,--a distance of about sixteen miles,--the road became completely
blocked up by snow, and nearly indiscernible. In this dilemma, he
thought it best to trust to his horse, and, loosing the reins, allowed
him to choose his own course. The animal made way, cautiously and
slowly, till, coming to a gully or ravine, both horse and rider
suddenly disappeared in a snow wreath several fathoms deep. The
gentleman, on recovering, found himself nearly three yards from the
dangerous spot, with his faithful horse standing over him and licking
the snow from his face. He supposed that the bridle must have been
attached to his person, by means of which he had been drawn out of the
pit.
A cart-horse belonging to a Mr. Leggat, of Glasgow had been several
times afflicted with the bots, and as often cured by a farrier by the
name of Dawine. He had not, however, been troubled with that disease
for a considerable time; but on a recurrence of the disorder, he
happened, one morning, to be employed nearly a mile from the farrier's
house. He was arranged in a row with other horses engaged in the same
work, and, while the carters were absent, he went, unattended by any
driver, through several streets, and up a narrow lane, when he stopped
at the farrier's door. As neither Mr. Leggat nor any one else appeared
with the horse, it was surmised that he had been seized with his old
complaint. Being unyoked from the cart, he lay down, and showed, by
every means of which he was capable, that he was in distress. He was
treated as usual, and sent home to Mr. Leggat, who had by that time
sent persons in all directions in search of him.
A curious instance of instinct occurred at Bristol, England, some years
ago, which proves the great local memory possessed by horses. A person,
apparently a townsman, recognized a horse, bestrode by a countryman, to
be one which he had lost about nine months before. He seized his
property, and put in his claim: "This is my horse. I will prove it in
two minutes, or quit my claim." He then set the horse free, and
declared his proof to be that the horse would be found at his stables,
at some distance--a fact that was attested, in a few minutes, by the
two claimants, and several bystanders, repairing to the stables, where
they found the horse "quite at home."
The celebrated Polish General Kosciusko once wished to send some
bottles of good wine to a clergyman at Solothurn; and, as he hesitated
to send them by his servant, lest he should smuggle a part, he gave the
commission to a young man of the name of Zeltner, and desired him to
take the horse he usually rode. Young Zeltner, on returning, said that
he would never ride his horse again without he gave him his purse at
the same time. Kosciusko asking him what he meant, he answered, "As
soon as a poor man on the road takes off his hat, and asks for charity,
the horse immediately stands still, and will not stir till something is
given to the petitioner; and as I had no money about me, I was obliged
to make a motion as if I had given something, in order to satisfy the
horse." A higher eulogy could hardly be pronounced upon the owner of
the horse.
The wild horses of the western country are thus described by Mr.
Catlin: "There is no other animal on the prairies so wild and sagacious
as the horse, and none so difficult to come up with. So remarkably keen
is their eye, that they will generally run 'at sight' a mile distant;
and, when once in motion, they seldom stop short of three or four
miles. I made many attempts to approach them by stealth, when they were
grazing, and playing their gambols, without succeeding more than once.
In this instance I left my horse, and skulked through a ravine for a
couple of miles, until I was within gunshot of a fine herd of them.
These were of all colors--some milk-white, some jet-black; others were
sorrel, and bay, and cream color; and many were of an iron-gray. Their
manes were profuse, and hanging in the wildest confusion over their
faces and necks, while their long tails swept the ground."
The Camanches and other tribes of Indians capture great numbers of wild
horses. The process is described by Catlin as follows: "The Indian,
when he starts for a wild horse, mounts one of the fleetest he can get,
and, coiling his lasso under his arm, which consists of a thong of
cowhide ten or fifteen yards long, with a noose at the end of it, he
starts under 'full whip' till he can enter the drove, when he soon gets
the noose over the neck of one of them. He then dismounts, leaving his
own horse, and runs as fast as he can, letting the lasso pass out
gradually and carefully through his hands, until the horse falls for
want of breath, and lies helpless on the ground. The Indian then
advances slowly towards his head, keeping the lasso tight upon his
neck, until he fastens a pair of hobbles on his two fore feet, and also
loosens the lasso, and moves it round the under jaws; by which he gets
great power over the affrighted animal, which is constantly rearing and
plunging. He then advances, hand over hand, towards the horse's nose,
and places one hand over his eyes; he then breathes in his nostrils,
when he soon becomes conquered and docile, and allows himself to be led
or ridden to the camp."
It appears that horses are subject to a kind of panic, which in the
western prairies is called _stampede_. The instances of this frenzy,
as described by travellers, sometimes present the most terrific
spectacles. Mr. Kendall, in his "Narrative," gives us the following
lively sketch:--
"As there was no wood about our camping-ground, some half a dozen men
pushed on in search of it. One of them had a wild, half-broken Mexican
horse, naturally vicious, and with difficulty mastered. His rider found
a small, dry tree, cut it down with a hatchet, and very imprudently
made it fast to his horse's tail by means of a rope. The animal took it
unkindly from the first, and dragged his strange load with evident
symptoms of fright; but when within a few hundred yards of the camp, he
commenced pitching, and finally set off into a gallop, with the cause
of all his uneasiness and fear still fast to his tail. His course was
directly for the camp; and, as he sped along the prairie, it was
evident that our horses were stricken with a panic at his approach. At
first they would prick up their ears, snort, and trot majestically
about in circles; then they would dash off at the top of their speed,
and no human power could arrest their mad career.
"'A stampede!' shouted some of the old campaigners,--a stampede! Look
out for your horses, or you'll never see them again,' was heard on
every side. Fortunately for us, the more intractable horses had been
not only staked, but hobbled, before the panic became general, and were
secured with little difficulty; else we might have lost half of them.
Frequent instances have occurred where a worthless horse has occasioned
the loss of hundreds of valuable animals.
"Nothing can exceed the grandeur of the scene when a large _cavallada_,
or drove of horses, takes a 'scare.' Old, weather-beaten, time-worn,
and broken-down steeds--horses that have nearly given out from hard
work and old age--will at once be transformed into wild and prancing
colts. With heads erect, tails and manes streaming in the air, eyes lit
up, and darting beams of fright,--old and jaded hacks will be seen
prancing and careering about with all the buoyancy which characterizes
the action of young colts. Then some one of the drove, more frightened
than the rest, will dash off in a straight line, the rest scampering
after him, and apparently gaining fresh fear at every jump. The throng
will then sweep along the plain with a noise which may be likened to
something between a tornado and an earthquake; and as well might feeble
man attempt to arrest the earthquake as the stampede."