AN EXPENSIVE COMEDY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20362, 17 September 1929, Page 8

AN EXPENSIVE COMEDY.

HORSE BECOMES MESMERISED

EFFECT CF A WHITE LINE.

LARGE SHOP WINDOWS SMASHED, 'f

A horse, attached to an Indian hawker's : cart, was responsible for an amusing ini: I terludo, with expensive consequences, at - the intersection of Karangahape Road and Pitt Street early yesterday afternoon. The - incident, which was observed by a* largo crowd, ended with the cart backing on to the pavement and smashing two of the large plate-glass show windows, valued at £2O each, in the premises of George • Court, Ltd. Spectators say the horso was mesmerised by the white-painted line drawn

across the street to mark the stopping, place for traffic approaching the interseclion. The driver had pulled up in front of the line in obedience to the signal of the traffic inspector on point duty, but when he was summoned to move on he could not induce the horsif to cross the line. After some minutes of fruitless en. treaty a well-intentioned spectator endeavoured to assist the animal to alter its decision by pulling on the reins. Tha animal instantly took umbrage, backed violently on to the footpath, and, narrowly escaping contact with pedestrian*, shattered the two shop windows. Traffic inspectors say this is not th» first iustanco in Auckland of horses being hypnotised by white traffic lines. Apparently some animals associate straight linea with the dangerous or unknown, and only approach them with trepidation. "I once owned a beautiful Arab mare which invariably faced a railway line with signs ol extreme fear," remarked a local horselover, when asked to explain the phenomenon. "Whenever we came to a level, crossing she would stop suddenly and staro at the iron rails as though overcoruo with obstinacy. The only way to get her across (was to go back and approach the crossing at a gallop, when she would jurfip over the rails as though she were jumping a ditch. I have no doubt if the horse in Karangaliape Road hid been bandaged over the eyes it could ha,y« been led over the white line without any trouble."

Trainers at Ellerslio recall the difficulty experienced with some horses in inducing their charges to cross the paths dividing the lawns. The animals appear to associate the paths with ditches and insist upon jumping them. The case of the domestic fowl, which can be mesmerised by forcing it to stare at a white chalk-line marked on the ground, is also familiar to many.