THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 511 



that for the time being he was master of the situation, and if 

 intelligent above the average he becomes a confirmed ' bolter.' 

 Distinct acts of reasoning are rare ; of this we daily see examples 

 in our hospitals : horses injured in the most severe manner 

 through their own struggles when placed in a little difficulty, 

 such as a head rope around the leg, or an inability to rise when 

 down, owing to being too close to the wall, or some trifling 

 circumstance of this kind. In these difficulties, if he employed any 

 reasoning powers he would remain quiet until released, instead 

 of which he behaves like a lunatic, inflicting in a "short time 

 injuries which may lay him up for months. Or take the case of 

 a horse which gets his tail over the reins when being driven ; 

 instead of lifting the tail in response to the exertions of the driver, 

 he draws it closer down to his quarters, gripping the reins as 

 in a vice, and is so astonished and frightened at the new state 

 of things, that he becomes uncontrollable. We can hardly point 

 to a single act in the horse in which the powers of reasoning are 

 clearly brought into play, unless it be that he knows punishment 

 follows refusal to obey, and he often learns to 'jib.' Every horse 

 knows a truss of hay or straw by sight. The point need not be 

 pressed, yet no horse will pass a truss of either lying in the 

 road. He appears unable to reason that what he is familiar 

 with in the stable, may be no more dangerous when met with 

 in an unusual situation. 



The horse is very conservative, he likes nothing new or any 

 departure from his ordinary mode of life ; he will starve himself 

 for days rather than take a new feeding grain. He will not at 

 first drink out of a trough if he has been used to a bucket or stream, 

 and he dislikes a change of stable or a new place. His gregarious 

 instincts are proverbial ; he frets at the absence of his companions, 

 and if used to work amongst a body of horses, as in cavalry, 

 he will take any degree of punishment rather than leave them 

 for five minutes. During the absence of his companions he neighs, 

 sweats, paws with the fore-legs, and almost screams with delight 

 on rejoining them, not because he loves them, but because he 

 dislikes being alone. 



The horse has an excellent memory for locality, probably 

 nearly equal to that of the dog or cat ; he never forgets a road, 

 and, automaton-like, if he has once stopped at any place on it, 

 he wants to stop at the same place next time, no matter how 

 long the interval may be between the visits. Finally, his pre- 

 dominant feature, and the feature of all animals below adult 

 man, is the childishness present throughout life ; probably the 

 absence oi care, worry, and anxiety may account for this. The 

 horse will play all day with a piece of rope, or nibble his neigh- 

 bour persistently ; even the oldest horses, when ' fresh/ will 



