Smart Animals
20 | July• 2019
ILLUSTRATIONS: GETTY IMAGESYou could earn cash by telling us
about the antics of unique pets or
wildlife. Turn to page 5 for details
on how to contribute.My only option was to trick her.
The next time I wanted to ride her, I
walked out into the paddock holding
a bowl of oats. As I walked past Bay I
scooped up some of the oats from the
bowl and let them fall back through
my fingers. The smell of the delicious
oats was too much for this spoilt
horse. She would blow her nose and
trot straight up to me, before greedily
helping herself to the oats. This would
then give me the chance I needed
to quickly throw the bridle aroundHorsing Around
MIKE HILTON
When I first arrived in Australia in
1952 at the age of 16, I worked on a
sheep and wheat farm near Gulgong
in New South Wales. One of the first
things I learned was how to ride a
horse so I could muster sheep.
I don’t know her breed but my
horse, Bay, had a beautiful tan coat.
She was reluctant to let anyone ride
her and was content to simply roam
around the paddock. So, catching her
became a problem. As soon as Bay
would see me approach with a bridle
in hand she’d trot off. It would take at
least ten minutes before she would
give in.
A shrewd horse and an alert dog give us plenty to think about