Motors and Motor-Driving/Chapter 18
CHAPTER XVIII
MOTOR-CARS AND HORSES
By hercules Langrishe,
Master of the Kilkenny Fox Hounds
One of the chief reasons for the opposition shown to the introduction of motor traffic in this country has been that motor-cars have frightened horses. When bicycles first came in precisely the same thing happened. Everyone, including the writer, who rode the old high bicycle, can well remember the day when it was necessary continually to dismount on account of restive horses, and when cyclists were subject to much abuse from nervous drivers; but to-day it is an exceedingly unusual thing for a horse, or even the rawest unbroken colt, to pay the very slightest attention to a bicycle.
Automobilists find that provided they conduct themselves properly they do not receive discourtesy from the drivers of horses who are thoroughly the masters of their animals. It is the nervous driver, the man who is frightened of his horse and has neither the knowledge nor the courage necessary for its control, who gives vent to his irritation by abusing motorists.
As one who has driven horses in every sort of harness, and has also journeyed many thousands of miles in automobiles, my opinion is that drivers of horses have very often good reason to complain of want of consideration and discourtesy on the part of motor-drivers, and automobilists who drive recklessly and without proper consideration for other users of the road well deserve the wholesome abuse which is frequently given them.
On the other hand, it is only right that the large class of automobile drivers who show every consideration possible for other users of the highway should not be held responsible because a horse misbehaves itself on encountering a motor-car. Horse-owners must recognise that motor-cars have a right on the road, and, provided that the motor-car be driven properly, its owner must not be blamed because a horse objects to it.
The law as it now stands requires a motor-driver to stop when a man in charge of a restive horse holds up his hand. This, in my humble opinion, is very often a great mistake. What usually occurs is this: a person in charge of a nervous horse holds up his hand, the motor-car is brought to a standstill, but the engine is left running. Now a petrol motor makes ten times as much noise when the car is stationary as it does when the vehicle is moving, and consequently matters are not improved in the slightest; but if, on the other hand, the car be allowed to proceed slowly, the horse is sure not to mind it half so much.
It has been stated that the horse still retains many of the instincts which were possessed by its forefathers in their wild state. It is well known, for instance, that horses will become terrified with fear when passing a menagerie containing lions, tigers, &c., although the cages holding the animals are boarded round so that they cannot be seen. The odour of these beasts of prey terrifies the horse. This clearly is due to heredity. It is maintained that a horse fears any strange object which approaches it, first slowly, and then stops, just as a wild beast would do when about to spring at its victim. Possibly the horse for this reason fears a motor-car which approaches it cautiously and then is stopped in compliance with the demand of the horse-driver.
If all motorists would drive with consideration there would be no necessity for the law which requires them to stop. But as things are, perhaps the provision which gives the driver of a restive horse power to stop the motor-car is indispensable.
As I have before remarked, horses have grown quite used to bicycles, and dwellers in cities see that horses are becoming, and in most cases have become, absolutely indifferent to the motor-car. The evil therefore is only a temporary one; but in the meantime it is the duty of horse-owners to take steps to have their animals trained to meet motor vehicles without fear; I maintain, too, that as motor vehicles are daily increasing in numbers, owners of high-couraged horses that are known to become absolutely unmanageable should take special care that their animals are never allowed out on the highway in charge of incompetent lads, who, if a motor-car is encountered, are unable to control them.
A horse swerving and backing a cart across the road in a village recently as nearly as possible caused the death of a group of four small children who were playing on the pavement in the village. The back of the cart crashed into the wall of a cottage within a yard of the little group.
There was sound wisdom in the recent decision of a court of justice in Paris, where it was held that it is the duty of. owners of horses to have them trained to meet motors.
The difficulty which has presented itself has been how horse-owners may obtain opportunities of training their horses to meet motor vehicles. The Automobile Club has already given demonstrations at the Ranelagh and other clubs near London of how horses may best be made tractable, and has advertised these opportunities. If any owner of restive horses will apply to the secretary of the Automobile Club, that gentleman will doubtless be able to arrange that some motorist in the neighbourhood will drive his car to the horse-owner's establishment and there train the restive animals. Members of the Club have done this over and over again, and motorists generally are most anxious to assist in this direction, thus overcoming prejudice.
A well-known nobleman took the precaution to send his horses to Coventry, in order that they might reside in the centre of motordom, and they quickly became used to cars.
The process of training is extremely simple: the horse _0401.jpg)
ACCUSTOMING HORSES TO MOTORS
As regards the relationship between motor-owners and horse-owners, I fully endorse the admirable letter of Sir Henry Thompson which appeared in the 'Times' in 1901, as also the remarks made by Mr. Walter Long, President of the Local Government Board, as follows:—
The people who use cars ought, I think, to remember that it is not sufficient merely to obey the letter of the law, but that they ought to use their motor-cars as they would use any other portion of their property, no doubt for their own advantage and enjoyment, but also with due regard to the comfort and convenience of the rest of the community.
It may not be out of place for me here to make a few remarks re the rule of the road. Everyone knows that on vehicles meeting the law is, Keep to the Left. Now Great Britain and Ireland are the only countries in which, so far as I am aware, this is the rule. In France, Germany, America, &c., vehicles meeting keep to the right, and until I took to driving an automobile I never gave the matter a thought, but now the reason is obvious. Take, for instance, a man leading a stallion or other horse on the public highway. The man in charge of the beast naturally leads the horse on his right-hand side. A motor-car comes in sight. The animal grows more restive than usual, and the unfortunate man is most likely to find himself in the disagreeable position of being jammed between the road fence and the horse. Many may say 'Why shouldn't this man lead the horse from the other side?' but this would be almost as difficult as writing with one's left hand.