Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-07-03
Training Circus Horses.


A New York Journal repor,o,
quired of Frank Melville, the ci,a
performer on -barebacked horses
"How are the horses trainedgn
1.-The first thing circus men do nj
they get new horses for trajnip. \
Melville replied, "is to simplv
them in the stables with Others +.
certain time until they have GOT +,
to their new company. It's sipoS'
how jealous horses are of newcoos.
You may laugh but horses have m
way of what I Right call gum,
green stock as well as human perio,,
ers. The next operation is to Ns
fold them, when they are led into
ring and trained to the circular
ton. This requires much time n
patience. Some horses take two we,s
others twice as many months. nj
natural tendency of a horse is "a \
straight, and this constant round
strange and unnatural to him. H.
first walked around, then trotted. M
galloped, each stage being thorood|
mastered before the next is attemps
Nowadays we use system H
checks and lines which m
ders the processes much ea5s
After the horse had been thoroua,|
broken into each motion, then N
blindfold is removed and the IA
former commences to try tricks va
him. The horse being naturally II
obServant animal is placed 10y the "a
of another, which is trained, TO IN
him confidence and SO the two vs
together, the rider first trying d
then the other by turns in order
familiariZe the new arrival. It's
great mistake TO suppose that ham
ness is resorted to as a means
breaking in circus horses. HorSe
trained are seldom TO be dCpaa
upon, and the rider never kna,
when he may be left.
Is turning q somersault upon
horse more difficult than in any olle
way?"
much more difficult because dh
peculiar motion. In fact the H
former has to reverse completes a
ordinary movement he would naD
he were merely descending to q
ground. Instead of alighting %
level plain he has to alight on an b
clined one. Pads are never used M
by performers of mere than ordlr
merit. / have a horse that will rml
a forty-eight foot ring in less Id
2:40. When you consider that
necessary in one act t. turn -four 20
ersaults in one revolution around
ring. you can form some idea Of
difficulty of the feat. A good Ind
ligent animal will, technically Spa
ing, feel his rider and accommoh
his motions as much as possibleb
own"
"Are horses sensible of the appa
of the audienceW
Almost as much as we are.
wonderful to contrast what a bf
will do under the stimulus of appa
with what he will not do when
audience is cold and phlegmatic. I'd
area pit, however, just the same
are, to lose their heads, so 20 spa
when the approval is too stimuIa'
That is one of the reasons for tbeS
eral checks and reins that YOU
circus horses provided with. ID
are not by any means INTENDED
ornament, as some people suppose
are strictly necessary"
"What is the value Of well-tf4'
circus horse?"
81 have recently bought one =
thousand dollars. AS a rule, "
own their own horses exclusively
"Do yal groom your own aIIIlA9
"No. i have my own man woe
tends to that, whom / have to pay
fact, q thoroughly trained gfoll
almost as necessary as thofou.
trained horse, which needs as .
care as a baby. Prior to eva!
horses back is rubbed
rosin to prevent the pertaIl
feet from slipping. This has to zee
fully washed out after each Ie.
ance, otherwise it would make tl
mails back sore in a very shot
Then the feet require wen ~
after. A groom must also "
thing of a veterinary surgeon
must also prevent the animal
cold. Some of my blankets alyD
me $50 apiece"
r, D, f,,,,,,,Iinpnt