28 Our Noblest Friend, The Horse 



well-known drive, and unerringly goes to the wonted 

 stall, and who shall say what hymn of thanksgiving 

 goes up from his anxious heart for this blessing 

 bestowed ? Many horses which when newly arrived 

 from the country refuse to feed well, and seem gen- 

 erally " out-of-sorts," are suffering from nothing in 

 the world but nostalgia, and only time can alleviate 

 their pangs; although a return to health and spirits 

 is, when it occurs, credited to the various drugs and 

 nostrums einployed. 



It is this active memory that proves our safeguard 

 in handling the animal, and without it his use by 

 man would be quite impossible. In time of emer- 

 gency, if he answer to the sharp "Whoa!" and 

 stands still, no matter what befall, it is because his 

 one-ideaed mind and memory associate the order 

 with the fact that the sound (not word — he does not 

 understand that) has always enforced instant cessa- 

 tion from motion, and an obligation to stand still 

 until directed to do something else. Once learned 

 — and every horse can learn and should be taught 

 to obey at once — he never forgets this lesson, and 



