chapter one The Animal Kingdom It was lightweight and could be strapped onto an animal quickly What’s more this 1857 invention helped the animal through some tough times 1 A life preserver for horses 2 3 A heating device for pets A portable feeding machine for horses cows and other farm creatures JIM MURPHY 9
A LIFE PRESERVER FOR HORSES Nineteenth-century horse soldiers frequently chased bandits and rustlers across rough terrain Often they would come to a wide deep river Since the army carried heavy equipment they had to use boats to cross the water which allowed the lighter-traveling bandits to escape To eliminate long delays William Ernest created two large rubber bags each with a rubber hose The hose allowed the soldier to inflate the bag with air They were then strapped to the horse’s stomach A squadron of cavalry thus equipped can cross rivers lakes or estuaries in safety without the aid of boats Ernest suggested that each soldier bring along a pair of waterproof pants and boots to ensure a pleasantly dry crossing for himself 10 BAFFLING BIZARRE INVENTIONS
This 1963 device was strapped on a cow’s face With it in position you had a truly contented animal 1 A pair of eyeglasses 2 An antifly guard 3 A mechanism to help cows sleep during the day David Hersh loved dogs so he invented this article of clothing for them in 1965 As long as Fido wore it the owner had one less worry 1 Running shorts for greyhounds 2 A flotation device for large dogs 3 A rear-end warmer for chihuahuas 4 Training pants for dogs JIM MURPHY 11
