282 



Can a Horse Reason ? 



Vol. IX. 



Can a Horse Reason? 



The editor of the Mobile Advertiser, whence we 

 take the following curious and amusing statements of 

 Judge Ta5'Ior, says they may be entirely relied on ; and 

 can be corroborated by the testimony of hundreds of 

 the most reputable citizens of Mobile.— Ed. 



My purpose is not to discuss the question 

 at the head of this article, but to submit 

 some facts for the speculation of those who 

 may be curious in such matters. As you 

 are aware, I own a horse called John, that 

 for several years has not only amused, but 

 astonished the public, by his various feats of 

 intelligence and sagacity. 



Everybody knows John; and if he is seen, 

 as he often is, in a buggy, and no one in it, 

 walking, trotting, or galloping through the 

 most crowded streets, threading his way 

 among carriages and drays, no citizen offers 

 to stop him; but if a stranger attempt it, he 

 only excites a laugh, and is asked how long 

 he has been in the city] I have witnessed 

 some amusing scenes of this kind, at the 

 expense of some one's good intentions. 



It is proper I should state, that for the 

 last seven years, with the exception of the 

 past and present winters, I have resided 

 about two and a half miles from the city. I 

 generally come to town every day, about 

 eleven or twelve o'clock. I frequently drive 

 to town and back, without touching the rein. 

 If I come down St. Francis street, he is cer- 

 tain to stop at the Waverly, without any- 

 thing being said to him ; and as soon as I 

 get out, he will start in a trot or gallop, and 

 stop at the Corinthian. If I come down 

 Dauphin street, he will go directly to' the 

 post-office, where he will stop until I get 

 out, when he will wheel across the street, 

 and remain there, in his opinion, a reason- 

 able time ; if he wants water, he will go to 

 a pump, and from one to another, until he 

 finds a friend to pump it for him, when he 

 will return. 



John is also a general favourite. The 

 ^^ freedom of the city" was long since pre- 

 sented to him in a buggy! He is therefore 

 not confined to any particular street, but goes 

 where he likes, in pursuit of me or his own 

 amusement. He will sometimes go to Wa 

 ter street, and then to Commerce, where, 

 with excellent taste and judgment, he will 

 sample bales of hay on the side-walk; but, 

 unlike the cotton samplers, he was never 

 known to fill a bag and carry it off* on his 

 back. He not only knows me from others, 

 but can distinguish my voice from all others, 

 as may be easily proved. Hundreds of per- 

 sons may pass him daily, without attracting 

 from him any particular notice. If I come 

 toward him when his head is turned from 



me, and happen to be talking at the time, 

 although from his tight check rein the mo- 

 tion may be difficult, and perhaps painful, 

 he will turn his head round, resting it against 

 his side, with his eye, which then exhibits a 

 peculiar, tremulous motion, fixed on me, till 

 I pass. If he then desires to go home, he 

 will raise his head, point his cars, and start 

 after me, stepping loftily, and keeping me 

 in view. Although a spirited animal, no- 

 thing "frightens him from his propriety;" ' 

 in fact, he "dares do all that may become a" 

 — horse ! It is a fact quite notorious, that 

 he will go about the city in pursuit of me ; 

 it is equally so, that experiments have been 

 made to induce him to leave me, by turning 

 him up the street leading to the country; 

 but after turning a block or two, he would 

 invariably come back. There are many in- 

 stances of gentlemen having driven him to 

 their residences in different parts of the city, 

 and turned him loose to come back ; and I 

 am informed some bets have been pocketed 

 on such performances. I had a standing 

 bet for some years, that I would send him to 

 the market, or the post-office, or any house 

 or point that might be designated, and that 

 he would return safely with the buggy. No 

 one doubted he would do it. But a few 

 months since, I sent him from my house 

 across the country to the Spring Hill road, 

 and up that road a distance of a mile, to the 

 house of a friend, although he had not been 

 there for more than a year. I have often 

 sent him on errands of a similar character. 

 I have only to go Vv'ith him and show him a 

 place, and he never forgets it. He is per- 

 fectly under command of my voice. I speak 

 to him as I would to a servant ; and that he 

 understands many things I say to him, is 

 proved by the fact that he obeys me. In 

 harness, or out of it, he follows me about 

 like a dog. He stands in no fear of me, and 

 has no cause; for although I may sometimes 

 scold him, I have never struck him, as I be- 

 lieve, in the seven years and a half I have 

 owned him. He therefore does nothing 

 from fear, but everything from kindness. 



It is getting quite late, — two or three 

 o'clock — I must have gone up the street. 

 He turns up Royal street, and stopping a 

 short time at the Literary Depot, and seve- 

 ral other places, he goes to the Waverly. 

 There is no use in going farther in this di- 

 rection, for he knows I seldom go above that - 

 point. He becomes uneasy; turns back, and 

 goes down the street as far as the court- 

 house. He turns again, much excited ; his 

 ears thrown back, his neck arched, his nos- 

 trils flattened, and starts into a fast trot. As 

 he passes the Mansion House, he is in a 

 round gallop, wildly throwing his head from 



