Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-05-27
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THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER.

Robert Stickney, the circus rider, has been
telling something about bareback riding.
He says: "My father, S. P. Stickney, was the
first man in the world who ever set foot over
four horses in the ring 50 you see came OF
riding stock. My appearance in 'Rolla' can
hardly be said to be the commencement of
my career as q rider, but date that from
the time when, in my eighth year, in the old
theatre at Eighth and Walnut Streets, Phila-
delphia, I made my debut before the public
in the character Of the Courier of St. Peters
burg
"Tn those days I rode with pad-did un.
til I was ten years old-when l began to do
bare. back acts, and ever since have always
discarded the pad. Any bare back rider
can ride with pad, but not every pad rider
can ride bareback. I began bare. back rid
ing early, but I had the advantage of my
fathers advice and of watching him ride.
Pretty soon after began bareback riding,
and while I vas yet mere boy, 1 began
two.horse acts, sud finally was able to ride
the four horses with as little effort as one.
"Of course | have been through the vari.
Gus branches of tumbling, as part of my
riding education, for if I couldn't tumble
and turn somersaults we'll on the ground, |
couldn't do it on horse As 10 the ordina-
ry jumping through the banners, and all
that sort Of work, that's the plain sailing Of
the rider. Jumping through the banners
while in the act of revolving a somersault
doesn't add to the difficulty of the task,
though people think so. One of the difficult
things about it is that you must regulate the
velocity of your somersault by the speed of
your horse, and that is why an even, steady
going horse is treasure to any rider.
"You ask me if can take any horse and
teach him his part of the ring business. Ger
tainly for horses are exceedingly intelligent,
more so than many men, as any old cavalry
or artillery officer will tell you. Of course,
some horses are more easily taught than others,
and the purer horses blood is as general
rule the easier he is to teach. But horse
that shies is worthless to US. When we make
flip flap we must find the horse under us,
and we must know where our feet are going
to be when we come down. l was seriously
hurt once. Just as was in mid air, while
throwing a somersault, cannon was fired
near the building The horse was taken by
surprise, SHE'D off involuntarily, and when |
ought to have come right side up with care,
there was no horse there. fell flat on my
back on the tan, and hurt myself good deal.
about slipping? Yes, one has to look
out for this. You know, of course, that we
rosin our slippers thoroughly ; but did you
know that the horses back is literally rosin-
ed, too? If that wasn't done, the horses per-
spiration would very soon make the bit of
rosin on the slippers useless; and, even as it
is, when the night is warm, and the horse
perspires freely, digging the toes in for grip
will bunch up the hair into little balls, max,
ing the hold uneven; or the hair coming
out will make the horses back so slippery
that it become very difficult to hold on.
"The horse has to learn his part as we'll as
the rider; to become as much a part of the
rider when he is on his back as the ancients'
tabled Centaur He must learn to keep his
gait even and steady, aud to obey even the
pressure of the foot in certain ways. The
rider must net put his foot down on any
and every part of the animals back or he
will destroy the mutual equilibrium. If q
horse feels your foot two or three inches out
of the way, and in a different place from
where he expects it, when you light on him,
it is apt to discompose him.
GAS to what kind of treatment l give my
horse, I have always an apple or bit Of car
rot or lump of sugar about ME when | 60
where he is, and we are on the best of terms.
Don't L sometimes have to conquer horse
if he gets stubborn or sulky fit on? Ger.
tainly, and if don't do it it will render the
horse worthless The cruelty is only appar-
ent, however. A little temporary severity is
real kindness to the horse. Some of the
trick horses are very dangerous and vicious,
especially the piebald ones. This mostly
comes of teazing them during their training
to make them bright and lively, but it is not
really necessary, and some trick horses are
gentle as lambs. A horse gets to know his
business and to like it, the same as rider
does"