Monday, March 5, 2018

Horace, The Housebroken Irish Hare

This photo is from a delightful article that appeared in LIFE Magazine back in 1956. 

It is the usual fate of the Irish hare, a wild strain betwixt the Scottish and European varieties, to sleep by day in the hedgerows and by night to scurry through plowed fields in search of leafy delicacies. To live long he must be a wary hare, on guard always against man, his guns and dogs.

This might have been the life of Horace, the loveable hare, had he not fallen three years ago (1953) into the hands of Cecil S. Webb, director of the Dublin Zoo. Webb and his wife took Horace into their home to study the ways of small wild animals. They kept him on ... because they had acquired a wonderful pet, as intelligent, playful and domesticated as any dog.

There are many more delightful photos for your viewing pleasure in the article and link mentioned above. This is an early St. Patrick's Day present for you! Enjoy. xo

4 comments:

Penelope Bianchi said...

We had a delightful housebroken hare. His name was (I was not as imaginative 45 years ago) Benjamin!

He was completely housebroken and lived in our house for 4 years! We adored him. Sometimes our houseguests were surprised in their beds in the guest rom to wake up to a rabbit staring into their faces!

Unfortunately.....our dogs thought he liked to play....and once.....they chased him.......and he had a heart attack.
I still miss him.

Penelope

Penelope Bianchi said...

You find the biggest treasures........ever. I have no idea how you do it.....but thank you so much for the treasure of the hare. I am mostly Irish.....part Scottish.....and I adored the story.

I would never have known it without you!

thank you so much

Content in a Cottage said...

Penelope Bianchi -- Penny, How delightful your childhood must have been with an Irish Hare as a house pet. I am glad you enjoyed the story from Life Magazine to remind you of Benjamin.
xo, Rosemary

The Queen Vee said...

Penelope is just full of surprises isn't she?!

Horace was such a handsome fellow, he looks very wise and obviously smart if he got everyone to do his bidding. My daughter Compound Eye had a rabbit a few years ago, a very unfriendly biting creature who was finally handed over to some folks who had a lot of land in the country. Max simply didn't pan out as family pet material maybe it's because he was a rabbit and not a hare.