SOLON ROBINSON, 1844 387 



appears so rational that I desire to publish it, and call 

 upon all that know by experience, to state if it be a good 

 remedy, so that the whole world may know, instead of 

 keeping such valuable information locked up in their own 

 breasts. For my own part, I am sure that if I had ever 

 heard or read of it, I should have remembered it; and in 

 the emergency in which I lately found myself placed, 

 should have practiced it, and if it proved successful, it 

 would have saved me more than $60 in property, besides 

 much injury to my own health, and bodily suffering, not 

 to say anything of mental agony. 



The manner of saving the horse as stated to me, is 

 thus: If the edge of the ice is not firm, break it away 

 until it is, and if it is very smooth, so that you cannot 

 stand firm, take a blanket, buffalo skin, or in want of 

 them, pull off a coat or cloak and dip it in the water and 

 spread it on the ice where you want to stand; then take 

 a rope, or chain, or bridle rein, and put around the 

 horse's neck, and twist it so tight that it will entirely 

 stop the breath. The horse will flounder and float quite 

 on the top of the water, when by a sudden pull, one man 

 can drag him on to the ice without scarcely any injury, or 

 danger to himself or horse. Of course, as soon as he gets 

 upon his feet, he should be put into violent exercise, to 

 prevent taking cold. 1 



Now accidents like mine, are exceedingly common in 

 this country, where we are obliged to travel over un- 

 bridged streams, while the country is in its infancy and 

 roads are such as nature made them. I have myself lost 

 two horses in the same way, and have known of the loss 

 of several others, since I have lived at this place. And 

 yet I am told that this method of saving horses, has been 

 practiced this forty years. And yet I knew it not ; and I 



1 The editor bore witness to the efficacy of this method, desig- 

 nating it "perfectly feasible in most cases. . . . Two men will effect 

 it in this manner; or even one strong, cool headed man, if he 

 knows how. The operation is aided by running a plank or rail 

 under the shoulder of the animal, so as to turn him somewhat on 

 his back, as his legs are apt to catch against the edge of the ice." 



