Nature. Curious Antipathies in Animals. HORSES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1899, 6 September 1884, Page 2 (Supplement)

Nature. Curious Antipathies in Animals. HORSES.

My late father-in-law, a physician in extensive practice, once possessed a horse named Jack, which was celebrated for his many peculiarities and his great sagacity. One of his antipathies was a decided hatred to one particular melody, the well-known Irish air, Drops of Brandy. If anyone began to whistle or hum this air, Jack would instantly show by laying hie ears back, grinding his

teeth, biting and kicking, but always recovering his good temper when the music ; ceased. No other melody or music of any kind ever affected him ; you might whistle or sing aa long as you liked, provided you did not attempt the objectionable Irish air. One of the doctor's nephews and Jack were great friends. The lad could do almost anything with him ; but if he presumed to whistle the objectionable melody of Erin, Jack would show his displeasure by instantly pulling off the lad's cap and biting it savagely, but never attempting the smallest personal injury to the boy himself, and always exhibing his love when the sounds ceased ; thus flaying, aa plainly aa a horse could say : "Wo are great friends, and I love you vory much ; but pray, don't make that odious noise, to which I entertain a very strong objeotion." Jack had another and very peculiar anti* pathy— he never would permit anything bulky to be carried by hia rider. This came out for the first time one day when the dootor was going on a "visit, and having to sleep at his friend's intended to take a amall handbag with him. On the groom handing this up to the doctor, after he was mounted, Jack— who had been an attentive observer of the whole proceeding by craning his head round— at once exhibited his strong displeasure by rearing, kicking, buck-jumping, and jibing — so utterly unlike his usual steadygoing ways, and the doctor at once divined the cause, and threw the bag down, when Jack became perfectly quiet and docile ; but instantly, however, re-enacting the same, when the groom onco more offered the bag to the dootor. The experiment was repeated Beveral times, and always with the same singular result ; and at length the attempt was given up, when Jack trotted off on his journey, showing the best of temper throughout. Why he should have exhibited this extraordinary dislike to carrying a amall handbag, which was neither large in size nor heavy in weight, it is impossible even to guess. On another occasion the groom, wishing to bring home with him a small sack containing some household requisite, thought to lay it acrosa the front of his saddle ; but Jack was too quick and too sharp for him. Instantly rearing, and then kicking violently, he threw the groom oS on one side and the objectionable burden on the other. After this, no further attempts were made to ruffle the customary serenity of Jack's rather peculiar; temper. The same gentleman also possessed a beautiful bay mare called! Jenny, remarkable for her sweet temper and pretty loving ways. She was a great favorite with the doctor's daughters, and would " shake hand 3 " when asked, and kiss them in the most engaging manner, with a sort of nibbling motion of her j black lips up and down the face. She would follow anyone she liked about the fields, [ answer to her name like a dog, and would ; I always salute any of her favorites on seeing them with that pretty low " hummering " sound so common with pet horses, but never heard from those subject to ill-treatment. . But, with all these graces, the pretty and I interesting Jenny had several peculiar anti- ■ pathies, in one of which she too somewhat re- ; sembled a dog Wag (to be noticed in a future j article), and that was a marked dislike to the ! singing voice of one particular person, a lady, ■ a relative of the doctor's. This lady often; went to the stable to feed Jenny with lettuces or apples, and they were always the best of ] friends; but so sure a3 she began to sing anything, Jenny instantly forgot her good manners, lost all propriety, and exhibited the usual signs of strong equine displeasure, although she never took the smallest notice of the singing or whistling of any other person, treating it apparently with indifference. One day, as the doctor was driving ; this lady out, he suggested, by way of experiment, that eho should begin to sing. In a : moment, Jenny's ears were down flat, and a great kick was delivered with hearty good will on to the front of the carriage ; and more would doubtless have followed, had not the ' lady prudently "stopped short iv her vocal ! efforts ; when Jenny" was herself again, and resumed her usual good behaviour. Another and very remarkable peculiarity of Jenny's was her unaccountable antipathy to the doctor's wife. If that lady approached her, she would grind her teeth savagely, and try to bite her in the most spiteful manner. What is perhaps even more singular, ghe would never, if possible, let the lady get into the carriage, if she knew it. Jenny would j turn her head, and keep a look-out behind ' her, in the drollest manner possible ; and the moment she caught sight of the lady ap- j preaching the carriage for the purpose of 1 getting in, Jenny would immediately commence her troublesome tantrums of biting and kicking. So strongly did she object to drawing her mistress, that more than once she damaged the carriage with her powerful heels, so that the doctor was obliged to request his wife to approach the carriage from J behind, whilst a groom held Jenny's head, to prevent her looking round. Even this was not always sufficient ; for it the lady talked or laughed, Jenny would actually recognise her voice, and the usual ' scene ' would be forthwith enacted. Now, the most Bingular part of this story is, that this lady was, like all her family, a genuine lover of all animals, especially horses. She was very fond of I Jenny, and had tried in every way to make friends with her, and therefore her dislike to her mistress was all the more unaccountable, aa there was nofc a shadow of cause for it. We can all understand dislike on the part of any animal where there has been any aott of ill-usage ; but it is wholly inexplicable when nothing but love and kindness has been invariably practised towards thai animal. Jenny, I am afraid, was a great pet, and, like all pets, was full of fads and fancies. One of these was certainly peculiar. Not far from the doctor's residence there was a particular gate opening into a field. As soon as Jenny came near this gate, she would commence her tantrums, rearing, kicking, plunging, jibing, and altogether declining to pass it ; and it was not until after the exercise of a great amount of n atience and perseverance, by repeatedly leading her — after much opposition, up to the gate and making her see it and smell it, thereby proving to her that it would do her no harm— that at length she was brought to pass it quietly and without notice. What could have occasioned this strange antipathy to one particular gate, it is impossible to guess, for, until she came into the doctor's possession, she had never been in that part of the county, and therefore could have had no unpleasant recollections of this gate in any way. It is, however, possible that the gate in question might have strongly : resembled some other gate elsewhere with which were associated disagreeable memories ; for I well remember that, some years ago, I often rods a fine young mare which had only recently come from Newmarket, where she had been trained. At first, she could never be induced to go down Rotten Row without a great deal of shying, jibing, and rearing, and other signs of resistance and displeasure. And this was subsequently explained by the fact that the place where she ' was trained and exercised at Newmarket was a long road with a range of posts and rails, closely resembling Rotten Row ; and doubtless the mare was under the impression that J this was either the same place, or that she was about to be subjected to the same severe ' training which she had undergone at Newmarket ; hence her determined opposition. One more trait of Jenny's odd antipathies must be mentioned before I conclude, and that was her fixed aversion to men of the working peasant class. She would never let such a man hold her by the bridle, or even approach her, without trying to bite him, and jerking her head away with every sign of anger and aversion whilst he stood near. But she never exhibited any feelings of dislike to well-dressed, clean, comfortable-looking persons, who might have done almost anything with her, and with whom she would " shake hands," or kiss in the gentlest possible manner. Of a truth, Jenny was certainly unique in her odd fancies and peculiar behaviour in every way ; a singular mixture of good and evil— a spiteful, vindictive temper on the one.; hand, combined with the utmost affection and docility on the' other.