SNOW WHITE HORSE

 
Meheru: While we were still staying in Benares, preparations for our journey on foot had been in progress. Arrangements were made to get various animals and carts.

The caravan for the women had been made in Ahmednagar, and Padri was responsible for bringing it to Benares by rail along with two bullocks from Meherabad. One of the bulls was Raja, an English bull which Baba himself had fed from a bottle when it was a tiny calf. The other animals were acquired in Benares area.

Dr. Nath was very helpful in every way, even though he had not seen Baba and there were strict instructions that no one should be told who Baba was. When the time came to choose a horse, Baba said there was a choice between two animals and as Mehera knew so much about horses, she would be the best judge.

Mehera: One day the groom brought a horse — medium sized, quiet — a nice horse. We all looked at it. It was in the women's compound and the men were in a different bungalow. I gave it a few pats on the neck and the flanks, then I picked up the foreleg, as he was quiet and allowed me to, and then the hind leg also. I patted him on the back and said, 'Baba, he is a very nice, quiet horse.'

Baba said, 'All right, we'll see, but tomorrow there will be another to inspect and then you can choose between them.'

The next day the other horse came, and it was a handsome animal, pure snowy white rather than creamy white. He was rather tall, his ears up straight, and I saw that he didn't look like a quiet horse. Now, because his owner was holding him, he was quiet. Again I examined him. He let me pick up his leg, but from something about his ears and the bearing of his neck and head I knew he was rather spirited.

I said, 'This horse looks very nice, Baba. He allows us to touch him so he is used to people and not shy. This horse is nice also.'

Then they took away the horse and we went in and talked it over with Baba. I said, 'Baba, I think the first horse is better. He's smaller in size, so one can control him if he's ever mischievous. But the second horse is rather big, and the mandali don't know how to handle horses, and it's quite a problem if a horse is spirited. That's why I like the first horse. But it's up to you — whichever you like.'

Baba said, 'No, everyone likes the second horse which is snow white and handsome.'

Don: A showy one.

Mehera: Yes. I said, 'Yes, Baba, I liked it also, but it's a bit spirited, that's all.'

Baba said, 'Dr. Donkin can handle him. He seemed quiet enough. He allowed you to touch him and handle him so he will be all right.'

I said, 'All right, Baba.'

Baba said, 'The mandali also like that horse.'

So we chose the second horse, and Donkin took charge of him and managed very beautifully. Shall I tell you the details?

Don: Yes, please.

Mehera: Two or three days later when the horse was brought to us, we took him near the stables and tied him to a tree. Then Baba told me I must see to his needs as I know how to handle him. I gave him his feed. We were to start on our travels again in a few days and meanwhile we were to take care of the horse. There was a garden servant who was to clean up the stable, but I had to see to the grain, grass, drinking water, and so on.

When we had tied the horse, Baba told us about feeding him, how much grain to take, mixed with oats and bran, then placed in a bag and put around the horse's head. He was quite happy eating it. Mani and I were both in the garden watching him and when he had finished I was supposed to remove the bag. Finally I went near him and took the bag off his head. He let me take it off very nicely.

Then I said, 'Now it's evening and we'll put him in the stable early.' Mani agreed. She didn't know much about handling him so she let me do it. I undid the rope and led the horse inside the stable. He let me lead him in very quietly. Then I tied him in the stable. There was a peg on the wall which I used to tie him for the night, on a longish rope so that he could lie down. The horse was standing and I was sitting down, although it was very risky. Even then the horse didn't do anything to me. A new horse, when he sees a stranger, might react, but he didn't.

I said, 'Oh, my, he's a nice, quiet horse.' After a time I got up and said to Mani, 'Now I need the hay that is outside and a lot of green grass for the night for the horse.'

Mani passed it in from the outside, and I took it from her and put it in front of the horse. As soon as I put it there the horse quickly came and started to eat. The second time I took a load from Mani and was approaching the horse, he put his ears back and started to act in an unfriendly manner, so I quickly threw down the grass. He was backing the way horses do when they are not friendly, their necks turned and ears back. 'Ah,' I said, 'he has had the grain and oats in the bag, and now the grass is there and he says he's got everything he wants.'

Meheru: Now he'd had his fill, he had no reason to be friendly.

Mehera: I said, 'This is not a good sign. What shall we do?' The mandali had preferred him and Baba had acquiesced, and now we couldn't exchange him for the smaller animal that we could have handled. This was a tall horse, and I was not able to handle him because I haven't the strength of a man. So I let him be.

Later Baba came and asked, 'How is everything? Is it all right?' and he came near the stable.

I said, 'Yes, Baba, he behaved very well at first, but he is not friendly now.'

Baba said, 'No? What is this? He was quite all right when he was brought to the mandali, and I patted him.'

Baba started to come near the horse, but before he could come too close I quickly stood in front of Baba so that if the horse became mischievous Baba would not be hurt. The horse put his ears back and started to wheel his back legs and his rump around as if he were going to kick.

'Oh,' I said, 'Baba, we'd better move quickly, he's turning.' Baba started to move and we quickly ran out of the stable.

Baba said, 'Now why is he like that?'

I said, 'I don't know, Baba, he was very quiet at first but now he's acting like this.'

Baba said, 'Never mind, he'll walk with the mandali. The men will manage him.'

I said, 'I felt that because of his ears he was a mischievous horse. The small horse would have been better to handle.'

Baba said, 'Never mind, they are all like this. Let it be.'

So we kept the horse and Donkin managed him very well. However, when we got to Dehra Dun later on the horse was finally sold.

He was a spirited horse and during the walking tour he was not given any work to do. He didn't have to carry any weight or draw a tonga — he did nothing. He went bareback, with only a bridle and Donkin leading him. In this way the horse got into the habit of not working. When we came to Moradabad it was decided that he should do some useful work hitched to a tonga. The tonga was brought and the horse was harnessed to it, but he would not budge.

Meheru He resisted and tried to kick himself free.

Mehera: Then a person who could train him was hired, and he had to be trained for a tonga like a new horse since he was not used to working now. He resented all this as if to say, 'Why should I draw a tonga?' With great difficulty the trainer made him draw the tonga.

Baba said, 'Now it will be all right, and Kakaji can travel ahead of us and reach our destination early.'