A FALLEN HORSE

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 167, 11 April 1935, Page 8

A FALLEN HORSE

Wellington Lorry Driver’s Problem When a draught horse lies down in a paddock, it, becomes a natural feature of the scene; but when a draught horse lies down on a busy bitumensurfaced road in tlie middle of a city and refuses to rise, it becomes sometiling ludicrously incongruous. This is emphasised when it is one of a pair in a lorry, and the other horse' insists on standing meekly by. Apparently everyone who witnessed such a situation in Wellington yesterday knew what to do. As tlie driver scratched his head, and whistled cheerfully. each one present offered advice. "Take off his collar!” said one. “Unbuckle his belly-band!” "Loosen that chain!” "Lift, up the shaft!” "Cut that rope!” "Baek the lorry!” "Clear the reins!” "Lift up that leg!” "Hold his bridle.!” What was done might have been a combination of these instructions, for tlie lorry, having been backed a few inches, it looked as though the left shaft was likely to puncture the horse's groin. The lorry was still attached to tlie harness of tlie fallen steed. Then a rope amidships was cut away, and another hook was unshackled. Suddenly some unauthorised person said "Gee!” This not only startled the horse on the ground, but caused tlie standing horse to move forward-’-quite in the wrong direction. Then everyone said "Whoa!” in chorus, and both horses "wlioad,” and were patted on tlie head for doing it so nicely. When all was quiet again a few well-inten-tioned men pushed tlie lorry back quietly, and tlie prostrate horse, jangling its harness, regained its be-whis-kered feet. Looking rather bored at tlie crowd, it consented once more to be draped in its chains of slavery.