1 68 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



THE ABILITIES OF AN "EDUCATED" HOESE 



By Profbssob M. V. O'SHEA 



THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN 



DURING the last few years a number of " educated " horses have 

 been prominently before the public, alike in this country and in 

 the old world, and they have received enthusiastic praise from all 

 sorts of people. Doubtless some readers of this article saw and 

 admired Blondine, who exhibited his " marvelous " powers continu- 

 ously during the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo. Many distin- 

 guished people paid him a visit; and observing his performances, they 

 went away to tell astounding tales of his intellectual acumen. The 

 testimonies of men eminent in politics, in war, in business, and in the 

 professions were daily published at the door of Blondine's pavilion; 

 and the writer remembers reading the hearty commendations of this 

 "educated" horse by President McKinley, Admiral Schley, and a long 

 list of persons celebrated in various walks of life. The press of the 

 country described the readiness and accuracy with which Blondine 

 could add, subtract, multiply and divide large numbers; how he would 

 interpret commands given to him, such as to take a handkerchief to a 

 particular lady in a company; how he could spell words given him by 

 members of his audience; how he could read simple sentences; and 

 how he could perform other mental feats which we have been accus- 

 tomed to think are impossible except for an intelligent human being. 



Leaving aside the " educated " horses of other days and of other 

 countries, it is the intention here to describe the intelligence of King 

 Pharaoh, which has probably attracted more attention than any other 

 horse of recent times. He has appeared before notable people and 

 vast audiences in every section of this country. He has received 

 unqualified praise for his abilities from newspaper and magazine 

 writers, and from such persons as Ella Wheeler Wilcox, Governor 

 Eberhardt, of Minnesota, and others of like distinction. His trainer, 

 Dr. Boyd, of Columbia, South Carolina, claims that we have at last an 

 animal with genuine human intelligence, as shown in his interpretation 

 of oral and written language, his mathematical calculations, his read- 

 ing of human character, and similar achievements. 



The writer, who had made some observations respecting Blondine's 

 powers as revealed in his exhibitions in Buffalo, was able to make an 

 investigation of King Pharaoh's abilities in November, 1911. An 

 educational convention was in session in Miles City, Montana. King 

 Pharaoh with his trainer and retinue of attendants happened to be 



