Leslie Howard, Horse Whisperer?

Leslie Howard had a horse named Betty. Betty was a thoroughbred but had fallen and broken her hip during a game of polo. But Leslie Howard took pity on Betty and bought her a field in England for her to live out her days.

One problem. Getting her on the boat. As Howard tells the story:

At the time that Betty was being shipped away to pastures new, there was a big dock strike and scabs were working to load the boat and great crowds had gathered, about two thousand strong, at the pier to watch things generally. A friend of mine who is very good with horses promised to look after Betty and as soon as I had finished a picture, or something, I promised to get down. 

They had tried for two hours, with this enormous gallery, to get her into the cradle, that coop-like contraption for carrying live stock from the dock to the boat, but no one could get her near the thing and it got to be pretty embarrassing. Just as soon as they worked her close she'd shy off and that was that. 

Finally I came along and found the situation fairly desperate, from their point of view. I could see the horse was simply frightened and needed some intimate conversation to take her mind off her troubles. So I walked her up and down the pier a bit and spoke soothingly to her all the time, and then I'd edge her nearer and nearer the cradle, always making sure that my body obstructed her view. She calmed down and in no time--just two minutes to be exact--I had her backed into the thing, the gate was quickly clamped down and she was on her way.

[Leslie Howard with three of his polo ponies]

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