18 MENTAL QUALITIES OF THE HORSE. 



The habit of galloping about in herds has probably 

 developed the instinct of emulation, which in horses is 

 almost entirely confined to trying to outstrip each other in 

 trials of speed. A horse's affection towards his kind, irre- 

 spective of sexual relations, or perhaps more correctly, his 

 love of companionship with them, is a form of the instinct 

 of gregariousness, and is often strongly developed. When 

 parted from his equine friend (no matter what the respective 

 sexes may have been), he will frequently display his sorrow 

 by dejection and refusal to eat. I have known a horse, in 

 such a plight, die apparently from grief/ I have seen a 

 horse " chum " with a cow, which was the only other 

 quadruped in the field in which the two used to graze. In 

 obeying his instinct in this instance, he no doubt mistook 

 the ruminant for a kind of soliped. I have known dogs 

 and even goats become attached to horses ; but could 

 obtain no proof that the horse reciprocated the devotion 

 at least, to judge by the sound test of the effect of separa- 

 tion on appetite. Cats sometimes select a horse as a 

 companion ; probably on account of the mice or rats which 

 come after the spilt grain, or because the horse's back forms 

 a warm couch for pussy. In such cases I have seen no 

 demonstration of love, beyond curiosity or good-natured 

 forbearance, for his feline companion on the part of the 

 horse. Mares without their young at foot, or when barren, 

 not unusually adopt orphan foals if they get the opportunity 

 of doing so. As a horse's affection, apart from sexual or 

 maternal motives, seems to be dependent on his instinct 

 of gregariousness, and as mankind can in no way become 

 objects of this instinct, his fondness for us rarely exceeds 

 cupboard love, or mere tolerance. Unless he be influenced 

 by fear, he will take the proffered carrot or other dainty 

 as readily from the hand of a stranger as from that of his 

 master or mistress, separation from whom has never been 



