258 AMEEICAN FAEMER'S HORSE BOOK. 



was near or at a distance, or sometimes when his corn was 

 thrown into the manger without the precaution of speaking 

 to him or patting him, he was frightened to an almost in- 

 credible degree ; he recoiled precipitately, eyery limb trem- 

 bled, and he struggled violently to escape. After several 

 useless efforts to get away, he would work himself into the 

 highest degree of rage, so that it was dangerous to approach 

 him. This state of excitement was followed by dreadful con- 

 vulsions, which did not cease until he had broken his halter, 

 or .otherwise detached himself from his trammels. He would 

 then become calm, and suffer himself to be led back to his 

 stall; nor would any thing more be seen than^an almost con- 

 tinual inquietude, and a wandering and stupid expression of 

 countenance. He had belonged to a brutal soldier, who had 

 beaten him shamefully, and before which time he had been 

 perfectly quiet and tractable. 



"A Piedmontese officer possessed a beautiful and, in other 

 respects, serviceable mare, but which one peculiarity ren- 

 dered exceedingly dangerous — that was a decided aversion 

 to paper, which she recognized the moment she saw it, and 

 even in the dark if two leaves were rubbed together. The 

 effect produced by the sight or sound of it was so prompt 

 and violent that she several times unhorsed her rider. She 

 had not the slightest fear of objects that would terrify most 

 horses. She regarded not the music of the band, the whist- 

 ling of the balls, the roaring of the cannon, the fire of the 

 bivouacs, or the glitt^ing of arms. The confusion and noise 

 of an engagement made no impression on her; the sight of 

 no other white object affected her. "No other sound was re- 

 garded, but the view or the rustling of paper roused her to 

 madness. ^ 



"A mare was perfectly manageable and betrayed no an- 

 tipathy to the human being, nor to other animalsj nor to 

 horses, except they were of a light-gray color; but the mo- 

 ment she saw a gray horse, she rushed toward it, and at- 

 tacked it with the greatest fury. It was the same at all times, 

 and every-where. She was all that could be wished on the 



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