MENTALITY OF THE HORSE. IIJ 



festations peculiar to the horse, apt to be misinterpreted even 

 by horsemen, not close obser\-ers. Probably the sensations of 

 a horse in battle were expressed by General Sheridan, who, 

 when asked whether he was not scared when in the thick of 

 the fight, is said to have replied: "Scared! Scared I Of 



course, I was scared — scared as h , but I couldn't get 



away. It was my business to stay right there and fight." 

 If Sheridan couldn't get away it was because he was held 

 there by his sense of duty and patriotism. If his horse 

 didn't t;et away it was because he was held there b}' the hand 

 of his rider. In the face of a danger which he understands, 

 where he can measure his aggressiveness, so to speak, with 

 that of an opponent, the impulse to flight does not assert 

 itself ; here he displays courage, and will put up a ferocious 

 fight, as in the battle for the harem, the mare in defense of 

 her foal, or in contest with an attacking carnivorous animal, 

 where heels are used, as weapons instead of flight. 



While certain activities in lower animals ma_\- l)e prum])ted 

 b>- mental states dilTering from those which actuate similar 

 manifestations in ourselves, yet the best conception that we 

 can form of them must be arrived at by such a comparison, 

 for our own mental states are the only ones of which we have 

 actual knowledge. But we should avoid a too ready inference 

 from these premises, as well as a sceptical demand for evi- 

 dence that is impossible. There are mental (qualities of 

 animals of which we can speak more exactlw That the 

 horse, as our example, is susceptible to considerable education 

 is a matter of such common demonstration as to be little 

 noticed : let him pass through one generation in his native 

 environment and he reverts to wildness, but in association 

 with man he becomes, while yet impetuous, trustful, forbear- 

 ing, quick to perceive man's intentions and ready to lend his 

 powers, clean, docile, and altogether an agreeable associate. 

 That he may in s(jme degree possess those mental and emo- 

 tional attributes which we know are human, may be admitted, 

 but we must also admit that actions which appear to denote 



