LITERARY SPECTATOR.
HORSES.*
"AND their Alliel Species," that is to say, ASSES : but we sup- pose Captain Brown was ashamed to stand forth in his titlepage as the biographer of the ass. The Horse certainly deserves to have a book to himself, as did the Dog. Captain BaowN, as the first writer who has dedicated an en- tire volume to their respective intelligence, social qualities, and general powers, deserves never to be without a good horse and a good dog, two of the most useful friends and acquaintance a man can have. The ancient Epicureans (not those of Athens) used to say, that a clean shirt and a guinea was all that man wanted here below—we would add to the prayer, a horse and a dog. With these requisites, a man may go through the world like the Mr. WiesoN recorded in these pages, who traversed on horseback the four quarters of the globe, excepting the marine passages, but not excepting a part of the interior of Africa. This Mr. WILSON would start from Cadiz to Moscow in a right line—not a steeple chase, and thence cross to Caucausus or Babylon. But Mr. WILSON was accompanied by a servant—this divides his glory : in such expeditions a man should be his own groom, and treat his horse as his friend and fellow-traveller, like a true Tartar. For this reason, we have always admired that clever passage in Mr. FRAZER'S Kuzzelbash, in which he describes (it is the rencontre with Ibrahim in the Desert) his hero attending to his own horse with the most scrupulous and superstitious care, before he cast a regard on any other object, after a long and severe journey across the sandy plains of Tartary. Not only is the description excellent, and knowing, but the principle is excellent. No man ought to bestride an animal he cannot tend; no one ought to keep that whose nature, diseases, and habits he does not under- stand. The Mr. WILSON, the account of whom forms one of the pleasant anecdotes of this book, one day set off on a ride to Siberia or China— we forget which, and he has never been heard of since. It is supposed that he arrived at a land which pleased him, dismounted, took off his saddle, and settled for lite. This is not improbable, for he had already got off horseback for a year in South America, where he took a farm, and turned his horse out to grass. Pleasanter gossip than that of horses and dogs we do not know, and richer food. for it cannot be found or in greater abundance than in the two volumes of Captain BROWN. He enters, in the volume before us, into the history of the ,borse in mddern_Europe ; and then into a characteristic description of the horses of various countries ; and afterwards into that of the various classes of horse used in this country. His different sections are followed by anec- dotes under each head ; and under the Race Horse, we have a list of the most celebrated animals of this description that have graced the British turf. There are many horses recorded in the list who can trace their pedigrees higher than half the House of Peers, and that to the purest blood. The descendants of Marsk, the famous Yorkshire horse, of which there are many, can trace their origin to the reign of CHARLES the First. Of all the anecdotes in which the work abounds, of feats of speed, of strength,. of endurance, none give us so great satisfaction as those which illustrate the powers of the native intelligence with which the horse is gifted. The anecdote in page 320, for example —in which it is testified that a horse turned out to grass in a field in which was a pump, used spontaneously to draw his own water daily, by holding the handle in his mouth and working it in the same fashion that a man does—gave us far more pleasure than all that Flying Childers or Eclipse are recorded to have done. r The susceptibility of horses to music is another natural observa- tion of the same valuable kind. A gentleman among a set of hunters at grass, in a park belonging to the Duke of BUCCLEUGH, tried the effect of a small musical instrument called the "mouth iEolian harp." The horses, before retreating, suddenly turned round and followed the musician. One of them followed him some distance, and at length laid his head on the breast of the gentle- man, and in that attitude listened with the utmost attention.
Dr. SMITH of Dublin had a horse which entirely submitted it- self to the guidance of a dog, who acted in many respects as his groom. When the Doctor stopped at the door of a patient, the dog held the reins, and in this fashion would follow the Doctor from house to house, when the distance being small, lie preferred to walk on foot. The dog regularly took the horse to water, and brought him back ; and when desired, would leap him over a ditch or rivulet, holding the reins the whole of the time, and guidine. 0 the horse by his barking. The force of habit is curiously illustrated by the anecdote of a troop of heavy dragoon horses, turned out to grass in the summer months, in a field near Pontefract in Yorkshire, absolutely form- ing themselves into line, on the breaking out of a ti emendous thunder-storm. The poor animals felt a similar sensation to that experienced in battle ; im similar moments of awe and excitement, they remembered to have been in line; and probably s( me idea of protection and security was associated with the arrange ment. Anecdotes of the sagacity of the horse in rememberirg his way, or finding out his stable, are numerous ; but there are few which show him in the light of a guardian, watching his master's safety * Biographical Sketches and authentic Anecdotes of Horses, acid the Allied Species; illustrated by Portraits on Steel of celcbratt d and remarkable Horses. By Captain Thomas Brown, F.L.S. Author of " BiograpLical Sketches ot Eogs." Edin- hUrgh,1830, like a dog. Nevertheless, a horse belonging to a gentleman farmer near Edinburgh is exhibited in this amiable point of view. His master riding home intoxicated, had fallen off his back, and slept in that situation till morning. The horse stood over him. The first persons who found them in that situation naturally pro- ceeded to raise the prbstrate farmer: they were, however, not allowed to approach. The horse flew at them, grinning and show- ing his heels at all who came near him, until sleep produced its effects, and 'the farmer got up—having undoubtedly been, during the night, far the greater beast of the two.
WHITE, in his Natural History of Selborne, long since told us of a very curious friendship that subsisted between a horse and a hen ; and every body has observed the attachment that often grows up between horses and dogs. It seems, however, that horses will not only keep up a friendship, but defend their friends. A pony, according to the testimony of Dr. PLUNKETT, the Catho- lic Bishop of Meath, interfered in a quarrel between a little favourite dog and a large dog, reared on his hind-legs, and played so effectual a part with his fore-legs, that his antagonist found it. his interest to make off. In another case, a horse interfered, and only let go the obnoxious combatant when he had bitten a piece out of his back.
An almost incredible instance of intelligence occurs in the case of a horse who went himself to the doctor. This horse had more than once been cured of the botts by Mr. DOWNIE, a farrier of Glasgow : he had not, however, been troubled with the disorder for a considerable time, when, on a recurrence of this disease, he happened to be employed in a cart in College Street, about a mile from the farrier's shop, in Gallowgate. During the absence of the carters, he left the other horses with whom he had been standing, and, without guidance or assistance, he set off, and did not stop till he arrived at the farrier's door. Being unyoked,—for the farrier surmised he had come to have something done to him,— he lay down, and showed by every means of which the was capable, that he was in distress. He was treated as usual, and sent ho to his master.
The natural age of the horse seems to be about forty or forty-five ; but there are a few instances of horses living to upwards of sixty. Such, however, is the usage to which we subject them, that they are generally old at twelve or fourteen, and rarely live till twenty. The power of man over horses, may be seen every evening while DUCROW performs, even more plainly than books can tell us ; .and of their docility, that clever artist gives equally remarkable proofs. But is not every one whom horses and other anitrials- choose to obey ; there are some individuals to whom they seem to feel an instinctive obedience. DUCROW is a man whom all animals approach with tameness. The most extraordinary instance of the obedience of animals to particular individuals, occurs in the well- authenticated story of the " Whisperer"—an Irishman of the name of SULLIVAN, who, without using apparent means beyond whispering in the horse's ear, reduced him from the most violent and unmanageable beast to the temper of the lamb. An account of this man (who is not the only one who has possessed this power) may be seen in TOWNSEND'S Survey of the County of Cork. It was pointed out to Captain BROWN'S attention by Sir WALTER SCOTT. We may add, that the " Whisperer" is intro- duced as a principal character in one of Mr. BANIM'S novels, and is made to play a conspicuous part. Captain BROWN'S work is an entertaining and instructive mis- cellany. It would have repaid him for some more pains in the composition ; and it might have been undoubtedly better if he had not confined his reseatedies too exclusively to Scotland.
Previous page
