MINISTERS’ HORSES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21538, 9 January 1932, Page 12

MINISTERS’ HORSES

By W. F. Cbaxoxe.

f in that day there shall be on the bells ef the horses Holiness unto the Lord. Zech. xiv., 20. Written for the Otago Daily Times.

■ -■ i. ' y-'y •; :. They seem to have carried consefaTatkm a long way. in old Jerusalem. It i? so far out of our way of thinking that we fancy it 'must’ be Apocalyptic—the pious_ wish of the heart forecasting the transforhiation of the outstanding forces of the time. We have no reason to think the horse held any other place in‘the life of those times than it does now. The prophet’s radical outlook is arresting, to say the least of it. The nearest our imagination can get to the thought must be the horses dedicated in some way to God’sworkin the:world— Ministers’ horses; maybe! Yet, that thought does not seem to have counted .or much in the church's experience. We have consecration of men and women temples, churches, buildings of various kinds, vessels, banners, and'even ships! We have read as much church history, as most, but never once—strange to say—do we remember the dedication or consecration of a horse to the. peculiar service ot the church! . Why? The, question leaves ns in wonder !.-, j - , ‘ . We are in a new age, and the horse will soon be on the scrap heap of the church s life. Internal combustion engines have worked a transformation in a .short lifetime, and the whole world-is staggering, to a new order of things. Before it is tod late we, should try to remedy the neglect amounting to injustice that has been done these humble servants ’ of the Church. Derby winners, even when they carry names with a spice of church history 1 bn them, like Lameronian,” or Melbourne Cup favourites, can be left to’ themselves. We write in praise of the minister's horse. We are a-long way from Columbas old grey horse, but he can never be forgotten any more than his master. We think of him giving his meed of tears at the passing of'. 1 the Saint just as his human brothers were doing. We can place him at the head of a long line of.horses that did their' day’s work in .helping, on., the Kingdom of God on the earth.. He .has got as near canonisation as is possible for a horse! , Every minister who has had to do with horses has private and individual reasons to sing their praise. He who keeps his four-footed friend in good condition will fet credit for practical Christianity, and ave a Jiving .. witness to back up. his preaching! That “living witness ” makes all the difference! . The motor car is, after all, only a clever bit of machinery—however smart, clean and well kept it be. The churches throughout the Empire •re* taking special steps to preserve anything in the way of historical documents. While at it, they, should mark this transition ; age by getting their old ministers to make some kind of record of the noble animals that did much in years gone by to make their work easy and effective. Every vestry should have photographs of the minister’s favourite steed—with some record of its qualities as a servant of the church. There is ample Scripture warrant for ■ it—apart from the appearance of horses in John’s picture of Heaven. If they could not leave the ass out of the story of our Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, we could simply be filling out the picture by telling how this eitadeJ and that, other were won with the help of all kinds of four-foooted friends. • Among the qualities given by God. to the-two great friends of man—dog and hQrse—must be placed that of hummir. But it is only when you are companionable and kind in your treatment of them that you; can discover it. It comes as a kind of- reward for the quality thqy find in you.. A rough, coarse, ill-tempered Jehu never sees.it. ' We were riding over the Kivenna plains in. New South Wales, where the station properties vary from 10,000 to 500,000 acres in extent. The roads were long and sometimes hard to find, at least for, a new chum. A . young Australian volunteered an escort to, his father s boundary—some nine miles away. When we got there the last sliprails tempted the imp of mischief in him. and he asked the new chum minister if he could jump his horse. It had been the property of a boundary rider , before the church bought.it. “If I take down the top ran, will, you jump the, 'other three? “I think We can do it,” was the reply. With all the deliberation of a show event the'minister . set his mount to measure the height. If "snuffedthe rail,—then lifting, high, her right foreleg, caught the rail in. her fetlock, and laid it beside the other, •nd then slipped over, with a triumphant swirl of her tail. The minister managed to keep a long face, —as if it was nothing tralian said, "Golly! I never saw that done before! ” The way that little mare went frisking along the road at parting, snorting and nodding her head, since plainly enough she was laughing along

with her rider. If the minister did not know before that he bestrode something outstanding - in horseflesh, he knew now that the dignity of the cloth was not likely to suffer through his companion. In the course of his life-work the country minister acquires a number of horses of different qualities which give him some variety of experience. There is a mutual contract in education. That can only be done as they, get to understand one another. It generally begins with a struggle for the mastery* .; You would think some subliminal, sense told them .there was a difference between a new chum, and a. native Australian. “Fiddle-headed Joe. set out to demonstrate his opinion on a first introduction.' - He’ had all the apoearance of a typical Irish hunter, -deep-chested, long barrelled, and high, springy hind legs. He snorted at the black coat and soft hat that offered to take liberties with him. The next thing was a Boded turn to get rid of his burden. He reared and pawed the air. Then, as if it was an insult that he could not unseat a black coat in that way, he made a mightly : spring, forward—called by. Australians " a pig jump.”, .There was a Sunday niofnirig ,audience watching his performance, but Tie, did not get the handclap he was working for. His masterstroke of jerking Ms head between his feet was foiled by the twisted reins being planted on his withers at the right moment. The riding whip finished that lesson for him. After that he seemed to take a pride in being a good horse—so good, indeed, that he' actually developed a homiletic ■ tendecy." This truth dawned gradually upon his rider. On country roads he never missed a chance of asking hisTnaster to speak to a passerby. If was all; the same whether it was a buggy; or gig,, or rider on horseback, or man or, woman on foot, he. wheeled and stopped and-fpreed his rider to say “Good day;” and his politeness always got _a polite response. Folks never seem in a hurry with a minister to speak to. “Joe ” refused to pass-the wayside hotel. The invitation to the monthly service. was received in the kindliest spirit. The good lady said: “ Though my husband and 1 are Catholics, I will send the groom and the girls to the hall on Sunday afternoon. Call bypassing any other time arid have afternoon tea with us." After that; when dhe learned that “ Joe” was the inspiration of the visit, she took, a piece nf. lump sugar from the table and went ouf to the', waiting horse and captured “ Joe ” completely. Here, at least, he had a sweet reason for ignoring all distinctions between Catholic and Presbyterian.

You would think the big-hearted horse had in some way sensed the kind of work his master had to do and had his own reasons for putting a kindly spirit into it. The seaboard of that Australian State is noted for its antagonisms. Every little while the “Orange” and the “Green” make rtheir differences- a Vital issue; and, when once, the poker falls out of the fire, there is always someone ready to pick it up by the hot end. “Joe’s” humour had a sardonic touch at times. He balanced his good qualities just as humans do. One day he took part in a long cavalcade at an elder’s funeral. Recent floods had left a more than usually broad sheet of water, across a ..plain, and the track was deep that led to the last, resting place among the foothills some three miles away. The horses splashed through water mostly up to their knees. “ Joe ” thought a funeral in these circumstances could be a refreshing experience, and, suddenly bending-his knees, left his rider standing in. the water. This proved’ too much even for . the solemnity of a funeral, and it was amid shouts of laughter that the minister got into the saddle again. It looked as if he had been picked for the occasion.