42 THE HORSE OF MR. VON OSTEN 



muffs were of too sheer a material, then Hans could hear 

 and answer the questions which for human ears were 

 inaudible. He demonstrated all this by means of experi- 

 ments and of 20 tests of the first kind, in which auditory 

 sensations were supposedly eliminated, 95% of the re- 

 sponses were incorrect (Hans would always tap too great 

 a number) ; whereas of 28 tests of the second kind, not 

 a single answer was wrong, just as had been predicted. 

 Now I have repeated both kinds of tests, but have al- 

 ways found some correct responses in those cases in 

 which the horse, supposedly, was unable to hear, a thing 

 which greatly astonished Mr. von Osten. In fact, the 

 responses of the horse were quite as correct when I did 

 not even whisper the question inwardly. It was quite 

 clear that putting the question in any form whatever was 

 wholly unnecessary. Mr. von Osten's demonstrations to 

 the contrary, which were based upon erroneous physical 

 principles, are to be explained as cases of vivid auto- 

 suggestions, (but of this, more in Chapter V). After 

 all this experimentation, it was manifest that the cue was 

 not given to the horse while the question was being put; 

 it occurred, therefore, at some time during the process of 

 tapping. But by means of which sense organ was it 

 received by the horse? 



We began by examining the sense of vision, and in the 

 following manner. Blinders were applied, and it is 

 worthy of mention that Hans made no attempt to resist. 

 The questioner stood to the right of the horse, so that 

 the animal knew him to be present and could hear, but 

 not see him. Hans was requested to tap a certain num- 

 ber. Then the experimenter would step forward into the 

 horse's field of vision and would put the same problem 

 again. Since, in the tests of the first kind, Hans would 



