Natural History: Mammalia/Equidæ
Family V. Equidæ.
(Horses.)
The last family of the Pachydermata differs much from the other forms of the group. Instead of the massive contour and heavy tread of the Elephants and Rhinoceroses, we find in the Horses an approach to the slender forms, graceful proportions, and fleet motions of the Deer and Antelopes. The neck and limbs are considerably elongated: each foot terminates in a single apparent toe, formed by the two middle toes soldered, as it were, into one, which is enclosed in a rounded, horny hoof. But though there is only one toe developed, there are, on each side, two small rudimentary bones, which represent two lateral toes. The teeth are thus arranged: inc. 66; can. 1—11—1; mol. 7—76—6;=42. The incisors, during youth, have their crowns furrowed with a groove; the molars have square crowns, marked with four crescents of enamel, the ends of the laminæ which penetrate them. The canines are developed only in the male sex: between them and the first molar, there is a broad open space, admitting the operation of the bit, with which man governs these powerful and useful animals in a state of discipline. The stomach is simple, and incapable of rumination, but as the natural food consists exclusively of herbage, the intestines are greatly lengthened, to permit a more perfect extraction of the nutrition contained in it. One young one, called a foal, is ordinarily produced at a birth, which is suckled during six or seven months: the mammæ of the female are situated between the posterior limbs. Africa and Asia are the native regions of the animals of this family; which, associating in numerous herds, range over the vast plains and tablelands, which are unincumbered with forests. Two species, however, the Horse and the Ass of domestication, have been widely dispersed over the earth by man.
Genus Equus. (Linn.)
The few species, (not exceeding ten,) which are known to belong to the family under consideration, have so many characters in common, that many zoologists of high reputation consider them as constituting but one genus. Mr. Gray, how ever, who has been followed by Mr. Bell, separates the Asses, (including all the species but one,) under the generic name of Asinus, leaving the Horse, the valued associate and servant of man, alone to fill the Genus Hquus. Colonel Hamilton Smith further separates the striped South African species from the other Asses, by the name of Hippotigris; but this seems a needless division.
The Horse, then, is generically distinguished by the mane and tail being full and flowing, the long hairs on the latter covering it from the insertion to the extremity; there is no dark line running © along the centre of the back, nor any bands on the body or limbs, the tendency of the colours being rather to form round spots: and the hinder as well as the fore legs are marked on the inner surface with rough, callous warts.
From very early times, the Horse (Aquus caballus, Linn.) has been in the service of man. The Sacred Scriptures, as well as the undying monuments of Egyptian antiquity, shew that its value as an animal of draught, and as an auxiliary of war, was well appreciated by the powerful and politic Pharaohs. Whether it exists anywhere in a truly wild condition, is very doubtful: herds of horses in a state of freedom scour the steppes of Tartary from Russia to China, and others snuff up the wind on the prairies of Texas, and on the Pampas of La Plata; but these latter, we know, are the emancipated descendants of the domestic horses introduced by the European colonizers of America; and we strongly suspect that the more savage breeds of Central Asia have a similar lineage; though a much more protracted continuance of freedom may have impressed more strongly the characteristics of original wildness upon them than upon their recently escaped American brethren.
Col. H. Smith, on information derived from various persons familiar with the Tartar horses, and in particular from a Cossack, who was "a perfect model of an independent trooper of the desert, and who had spent ten or twelve years on the frontier of China," considers that there is upon the steppes a true wild race, as well as a feral or emancipated one, and that the habits of the one are so distinct from those of the other, that the two kinds are distinguished by name; the feral horse being denominated muzin, the wild tarpan. The latter are said to be irreclaimable; when captured they often break their necks in their violent struggles, and, if not, they pine and die. In fighting they rise up, strike with the fore feet, try to crush their adversaries, and bite with much ferocity.
On the vast plains of South America the horses have increased prodigiously; they scour the sea-like country in troops of thousands. In a certain sense, however, these are not free; for a nominal ownership over them is claimed, according to the proprietorship of the lands on which they feed. Large enclosures, called corrals, are formed, into which they are occasionally driven for the purpose of slaughtering them, the hides being a valuable object of commerce. When required for the saddle, the horses are caught by means of the lazo, in which the Gauchos or native inhabitants are very expert, even from childhood. The lazo is a plaited thong, half an inch in diameter, and forty feet in length, composed of several strips of hide properly cured, intertwisted, and rendered supple by grease. At one end is an iron ring, through which the thong is passed so as to make a running noose. The lazo is used on horseback principally; one end being fastened to the saddle, the Gaucho carries the rest, carefully coiled, in his left hand, leaving about four yards of the noose end in a coil; half of this he holds in his right hand, swinging the noose horizontally round his head; the weight of the iron ring giving it sufficlent impetus, when launched, to carry out the whole length of the line. Such is the dexterity of these people, that the noose is lodged with unerring precision on any part of the animal at which they hurl it, round the head and neck, round one leg, or two legs, or round the horns of a bull; and, as the horses are trained to lean over on the opposite side at the moment of the strain, the most powerful wild animal is suddenly arrested and thrown upon the ground in the midst of its fierce career.
The capturing and breaking of wild horses have been described by many travellers in interesting terms: we select the following from Mr. Darwin’s Journal. "One evening a domidor, or subduer of wild horses, came for the purpose of breaking in some colts. A troop of young wild horses is driven into the corral, or large enclosure of stakes, and the door is shut. We will suppose that one man alone has to catch and mount a horse, which as yet had never bridle or saddle. I conceive, except by a Gaucho; such a feat would be utterly impracticable. The Gaucho picks out a full-grown colt, and as the beast rushes round the circus, he throws his lazo so as to catch both the front legs. Instantly the horse rolls over with a heavy shock, and while struggling on the ground, the Gaucho, holding the lazo tight, makes a circle so as to catch one of the hind legs just beneath the fetlock, and draws it close to the two front. He then hitches the lazo so that the three legs are bound together; then, sitting on the horse’s neck, he fixes a strong bridle without a bit to the lower jaw; this he does by passing a narrow thong through the eye-holes at the end of the reins, and several times round both jaw and tongue; the two front legs are now tied closely together with a strong leathern throng, fastened by a slip knot. The lazo which bound the three together being then loosened, the horse rises with difficulty; the Gaucho, now holding fast the bridle fixed to the lower jaw, leads the horse outside the corral. If a second man is present (otherwise the trouble is much greater), he holds the animal’s head while the first puts on the horse-cloths and the saddle, and girths the whole together. During this operation, the horse, from dread and astonishment at being thus bound round the waist, throws himself over and over again on the ground, and till beaten, is unwilling to rise. At last, when the saddling is finished, the poor animal can hardly breathe from fear, and is white with foam and sweat. The man now prepares to mount by pressing heavily on the stirrup, so that the horse may not lose its balance; and at the moment he throws his leg over the animal’s back, he pulls the slip knot, and the beast is free. Some domidors pull the knot while the animal is lying on the ground, and, standing over the saddle, allow it to rise be- neath them; the horse, wild with dread, gives a few most violent bounds, and then starts off at full gallop: when quite exhausted, the man, by patience, brings him back to the corral, where, reeking hot, and scarcely alive, the poor beast is set free. Those animals which will not gallop away, but obstinately throw themselves on the ground, are by far the most troublesome: this process is tremendously severe, but in two or three trials the horse is tamed.
"The Gauchos are well known to be perfect riders: the idea of being thrown, let the horse do what it likes, never enters their head: their criterion of a good rider is a man who can manage an untamed colt, or who, if his horse falls, alights on his own feet, or can perform other such exploits. I have heard of a man betting that he would throw his horse down twenty times, and that nineteen out of these he would not fall himself. I recollect seeing a Gaucho riding a very stubborn horse, which three times reared so excessively high as to, fall backwards with great violence. The man judged with uncommon coolness the proper moment for slipping off, not an instant before or after the right time. Directly the horse rose, the man jumped on his back, and at last they started at a gallop. The Gaucho never appears to exert any muscular force. I was one day watching a good rider, as we were galloping along at a rapid pace, and thought to myself, surely, if the horse starts, you appear so careless on your seat you must fall. At this moment a male ostrich sprang from its nest right beneath the horse’s nose. The young colt bounded on one side like a stag; but as for the man all that could be said was, that he started and took fright as part of his horse." 
HORSES.
To the estimation in which this noble animal is held by all civilized and by many barbarous nations, it is unnecessary to do more than allude. Many breeds have peculiar excellences; those of this country, through long continued attention, combined with skill and science, may probably be considered with fairness, as inferior to none in the world. Domestication has produced its usual result in forming widely different varieties of this useful creature, from the diminutive Shetland pony, strong and hardy, though scarcely larger than a dog, or the taper-limbed Racer, to the massive and gigantic Dray-horse of the metropolitan brewer. "In this country," observes Mr. Bell, "the horse has always been an object of the highest interest; and our ancestors were, from the earliest period, celebrated for the excellence of their breeds of this useful animal. When Cesar landed on the shores of Kent he was received by the cavalry and war-chariots belonging to the defending army. How long before this period the barbarous inhabitants of our island had known the use of this powerful constituent of the material of an army, is of course beyond the limits of conjecture; but from this time, occasional mention is made of the excellence of British horses."
The horse is capable of strong attachment to man, and to other animals. Many interesting anecdotes are on record of this. Mr. Jesse relates the following. "A horse and a cat were great friends, and the latter generally slept in the manger. When the horse was going to have his oats, he always took up the cat gently by the skin of her neck, and dropped her into the next stall, that she might not be in his way, while he was feeding. At all other times he seemed pleased to have her near him."
"Two Hanoverian horses had long served together during the Peninsular war, in the German brigade of artillery. They had assisted in drawing the same gun, and had been inseparable companions in many battles. One of them was at last killed; and after the engagement the survivor was picqueted as usual, and his food brought to him. He refused, however, to eat; and was constantly turning round his head to look for his companion, sometimes neighing as if to call him. All the care that was bestowed upon him was of no avail. He was surrounded by other horses, but he did not notice them; and he shortly afterwards died, not having once tasted food from the time his former associate was killed. A gentleman who witnessed the circumstance assured me that nothing could be more affecting than the whole demeanour of this poor horse." [1]
- ↑ Gleanings in Nat. Hist. pp. 256, 102.