12 MENTAL QUALITIES OF THE HORSE. 



although such animals might view with unconcern an 

 ordinary swimmer in the water. . The Indian elephant 

 can be easily taught to pile up logs of timber with almost 

 mathematical precision. Probably one of the best instances 

 of what we might call reasoning power in animals is 

 furnished by the fact that the sight of a dog being tied 

 behind a moving carriage is an almost irresistible tempta- 

 tion to other dogs to attack him, no matter how inferior 

 they may be to him in strength and size. The assaulting 

 parties appear to understand that an animal thus pulled 

 along by the head, is at a very serious disadvantage in 

 defending himself against an attack from behind. 



Most of us, no doubt, have observed the artifice grooms 

 adopt, of showing a sieve of corn to a horse which is loose 

 in a field, and which they wish to entice within catching 

 distance. Although we may laugh at the simplicity of 

 the horse in this instance, we must not therefore conclude 

 that he is altogether wanting in sense ; for we may often 

 notice that if the groom presumes too far on the credulity 

 of the animal, and leads him off to the stable without 

 allowing him to eat some of the oats, he will in future 

 see through the imposition, and refuse to be caught. Here, 

 the sight of the man forms in the mind of the horse a 

 stronger association with the disagreeable idea of capture 

 than with the pleasurable one of food. The groom can 

 generally, however, restore the desired association by 

 judicious concessions. To explain the action of the horse 

 in this case, we in no way require to suppose that he is 

 guided by reason. 



In many hilly countries where the mountains are high, 

 the bridle paths narrow and the cliffs precipitous, the pack 

 animals (horses, ponies, mules, and donkeys) which are 

 accustomed to carry bulky loads that overhang a good deal 

 to right and left, acquire the habit of travelling on the 



