22 MENTAL QUALITIES OF THE HORSE. 



sometimes shows a strong tendency to *' savage." The ex- 

 perience I have had among wild and unbroken horses leads 

 me to think that the vice of attacking with the teeth is 

 either sexual or acquired ; for geldings, which have been 

 emasculated young, and which have not been brought under 

 the influence of man, exhibit it to a very trifling extent ; 

 although, under provocation, they will freely lash out behind, 

 cow-kick, or strike out with their fore legs. 



Sense of hearing. — The horse, agreeably to the anecdote 

 told on page 17, and as we might infer from observing the 

 almost constant play of his ears when he is in the open, 

 pays great attention to sounds, and is very quick to mark 

 differences of tone, although he has extremely little ability 

 to distinguish one word from another. As a rule, a loud, 

 harsh sound of the human voice frightens the horse ; but 

 a soft one calms him. 



Sense of sight. — The horse is greatly affected by objects 

 which have to him a strange or suspicious appearance. It 

 is easy to understand that the survival of an instinct which 

 in former times helped to preserve him from his neigh- 

 bouring foes, makes him start with terror when he sees, 

 for instance, a bear skin in his path, or a trailing rope, the 

 serpentine motion of which might suggest the idea of a 

 snake. But I cannot fathom the motive for the fear with 

 which the approach of a camel invariably inspires him. He 

 will seldom take in good part the sight of a donkey (or 

 even of a pony) with a bulky load on its back. Water and 

 white and glittering objects are generally sources of alarm 

 to him. The expression of the human face appears to have 

 no efl'ect on the horse. " With respect to this subject I 



