OCR Text |
Show y - HOW HORSES SWIM. Their Uourm'tV Vurkl an Much a That (if Human llrlngH. A contributor lb the London l'leld writes that awhnmlng horses across u lloodcd crook or river is a common and on nomo stations uliuost dally occur-t occur-t renco lit Australia during the nijuv ' season. "As a rule I have rem.uin.if I sentcd In tbo saddle while swinunng my liorso ncross a flooded river," he says, "and hive found the buoniicy of. tlio horse to vury quite as much m. tliat of a human being. I have bad some horoes which would tiwlm wit i l!ie sent of tho sitldlo clear above the water, whilo others, on the contrary, swam so deeply that only tho civs, eyes ninTnoso wero visible. In tho latter lat-ter cas? the sooner the rider sllfl over tho tall tho better. f you nro not in tho saddle I do not think it matters mush whether you swim nt tho horse's head or his tall, or on your back, broust or side. Of coarje tint nenrer you uro to his head tbo lx'tlers-diniice ym have of guiding him if necessary, but ns a rulo horses will swim ns fast and ns straight as they can to the nearest landing point. In tho whole course of my cxpcrlenco I bate seen but one horso unablo or unwilling to swim, nnd on tills occasion the liorso turned on hU sldo immediately it found ltjclf lu deep water, nnl n fusing to mako tho thghtesl nltort It was drowned. In my opinion tho most itnportunt thing to do when awl turning any horso ncrow a stream Is to unbutkle your snnftlo rln. (Hid , if riding with a double.-re.incd brldls, cut tlio (ditches of tha ourb rein. I'rucllciilly. tbo nl) danger IIipto la lies in '.no risk of tl . horse gutting hi f irolcgs entangled lu tbo bridle, which can easily bo avoided." |