noted them, voluntarily reduced their extent and
utilized them in the training process. But here also there is much that
militates against this assumption when we consider how great is the
difficulty of consciously refining movements which at first were rather
coarse, unless it be by the adjustment of the proper degree of
concentration of attention, a subtlety of method of which we could
hardly believed Mr. von Osten capable. We must remember, also, that in
the first publication regarding Hans which, by the way, marks the
beginning of his career, ("Das lesende und rechnende Pferd," by
Major-General E. Zobel, in the "Weltspiegel" of July 7, 1904), we may
read the following: "He (Mr. von Osten) is always willing to have the
horse undergo an examination on the part of a stranger, and promises
that after Hans has become fairly well acquainted he will display the
same degree of efficiency as he displays with the master, himself."
This occurred at a time when Mr. Schillings, the man who was destined to
prove the truth of the statement, had not yet appeared on the scene. How
was Mr. von Osten to know beforehand that every questioner, who might
appear, would execute the same movements that he himself had used? We
would recall also that not one in the great multitude of persons who
worked successfully with the horse in the absence of Mr. von Osten, had
noticed, even in the slightest measure, any of these movements in
themselves. The position and repute of these persons vouches for their
veracity,--among them were the writer of the article just mentioned, the
Count zu Castell, Count Matuschka, Count von Eickstedt-Peterswaldt,
General Koering, Dr. Sander, Mr. H. Suermondt and Mr. H. von
Tepper-Laski. Some of these gentlemen were quite unwilling to believe
that they executed such movements. This happened in the case of Mr. von
Tepper-Laski, who had visited Hans ten times and who had, during the
course of these visits, frequently worked alone with the horse and had
received correct responses. Count Eickstedt, too, although he was one of
those who had been made acquainted with the nature of the movements
involved before being allowed to visit the horse, was unable to note
them either in his observation of Mr. von Osten, or of himself, when, in
compliance with his own wish, he was left alone with Hans. Nor did any
of the laboratory subjects, some of whom were well trained in
introspection, discover the true nature of affairs. They were