NATURAL HISTORY of NORW AY. j 



mare ; fo that there are nothing ufed but ftone-horfes. The 

 reafon is, that there are no coach-roads fit for horfes to draw in 

 yoked ; but all that comes to town by land, is brought in pack'd 

 ■upon the horfes back, and the peafants drive two, three, or four 

 at a time before them, as in other places they do arTes. Were As the y &° in 

 theie loaded horfes to meet with mares, there would be fre-^w, where" 

 quently mifchief > as it is managed, the horfe-man muft takecSroad"? 

 great care, and fit faft in the laddie, for when thefe horfes meet 

 in the narrow roads, they feldom pafs without a fignal of 

 animofity. 



The Norway horfes are better for riding than drawing ; their 

 walk is eafy ; they go dancing along, and they are always full 

 of fpirit ; they are very fore-Footed, a circumftance highly 

 necerTary in thefe bad roads. The fine Danilh horfes could not 

 go in them, without hazarding their own lives and their Riders. 



When they go up and down a fteep cliff on ftones like fteps^ 

 they firft tread gently with one foot, to try if the Hone they 

 touch is faft ; and in this they muft be left to their own manage- 

 ment, or the be ft rider that is will run the rifque of his neck : 

 when they are to go down a very fteep and flippery place, they, 

 in a furprifing manner, draw their hind legs together under them 

 and Hide down. 



They fhow a great deal of courage when they fight with the 

 wolves and bears, which they are oft obliged to do, particularly 

 the latter ; for when the horfe perceives any of them near, and 

 has a mare or gelding with him, he puts the weaker behind 

 him, and attacks his antagonift with his fore-legs, which he ufes 

 like drumfticks to ftrike withal 3 and comes off ufually the 

 -conqueror. 



Many of the people of failiion would not believe this, till 

 ftadtholder Wibe, in king Frederic the fourth's prefence, made 

 the experiment, with one of his coach-horfes, at -Fredericfberg. 

 This creature fell upon a bear let loofe againft him, and laid him 

 prefently dead : but fometimes the bear, who has double ftrength, 

 gets the advantage, and efpecially if the horfe happens to turn 

 about to kick with his hind-legs. If he attempts this he is 

 ruined 5 for the bear inftantly leaps upon him, and fixes him- 

 felf on his back : in this cafe he gallops off with his angry rider, 

 till by lofs of blood he drops down. 



S E C T. II. 



