The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-12-01
CIRCUS RIDERS.
TEACHING WOMEN IN WINTER
TO RIDE HORSES.
Falling From the Horse, But Re
naming Suspended in Mid
Air--Salarics of Beginners
A Talk With Trainer.

A Talk With a Trainer.
In a talk with Mr.. Hiram Marks, cir
Gus trainer and ringmaster, held at the
winter quarters of the circus with which
he is connected, he said to Detroit Free
Pes' representative:
"Wat Ii that curtaine1 door and you
will see an invaluable animal come n in
about five minutes. Her capacity IS
limitlcss. She understands the English
language as we'll as you or l, and unless
she is treated with far more consldera-
ton, and boarded and lodged far batter
than I am myself she sulks, and then her
training is knocked into cooked hat.
Twenty thousand dollars would not buy
her, and when she takes the road next
spring she will paralyze the natives.
A broad backed white horse, with
silver-silk name and one of those billowy
tails rarely met with in real life, cantered
into the ring. There was an arch in his
swan neck and q proul carriage of his
head never seen outside of the circus
ring. A white corded girth secured a
pad on his ba k and the lines leading to
bis bit were of blue silk, frayed and
soiled
Then the invaluable young animal.
whose capacity for taking up tricks was
limitlcss, came on. She pushed aside the
calico hangings at tile curtained door
way and Wake to the horses side. She
was a girl, with big bunch of yellow
hair on the top of her head, pretty pink
and white face and blue flannel bloomer
costume cut high in the neck, ample as
to ski and ending in pair of Turkish
trousers.
~ amt a-going to do no knee work
to-day" shc said stoutly, when Mr..
Marks had swung her light figure to
seat on the pad. She at once lifted her,
self from sitting posture to her feet and
proceeded to clasp snap-blckle into an
iron ring which was sewed to the belt
about her waist. The snap-buckle was
Mt the end of rope dangling from glib
bet like arm above.
"All right" remark d Mr.. Marks,
"one, two, three, and away you 60"
He cracked the long whip in his hani
with a report like a pistol shit, and
winked at the writer.
"Now you will see s0me fun, he whis-
percd. "The first few rounds of the ring
ought alwaysto lie taken by the beginner
on her knc,s 1t is quite as secure po-
sition as g ing, and it is Almost ind;s-
pcnsable in catching the horses gait;
but mademoiselle knows better than I
do, and although she has only taken
three lessons you have heard her propose
to give up knee-work al ogether-ah, I
thought So"
For the first half.doze yards made
moiselle went bravely on. Her slippered
feet kept their hold On the pad. and
.lthoug gh her body swayed dangerously
with every move of the gently Looping
horse she bra ed herself by bearing upon
The bride, and seemed determined to
sind:cate her judgment in abandoning
"knce work" at this early stage of the
game. But with every yard the swayiug
grew more pronounced and her balance
more precarious, until suddenly with a
Shrek she fell. A fall of some five feet,
while in an erect position on the back of
q moving horse, might easily be fatal,
especially when the horses feet are shod
with iron and the faller alights in his
path.
But mademoisellc did not fall far. The
rope dangling from the gibbet arm held
her suspended from the middle in the
air, like a captive frog, kicking with
arms and legs and making some vigor-
Gus remarks with her tongue until the
horse had completed the rings circuit
and once more placed his back beneath
her for her support.
"Now, YOU see, mildly began the
trainer, as he helped her again to her
stand.
'No, don't see," she snapped. 81
can ride this horse without no more knee
work, and I'm a-going to do it."
Which she proceeded to do, taking an
involuntary and painless hanging at
irr, gular intervals, but clinging to the
work with grit and a pc tinacity which
excited Mr.. Marks's unqualified admira-
tion.
"Lct her keep on and she can COM
mand so week when the next season
opcns," he said, "from $50 to so is the
average week. y stipend for riders of
from two to five years experience, and
rs it requires winter practice, when, of
course, no salary IS paid, the work is
worth the money. All young riders
begin by riding on their knees. When
they can go around the ring confidently
in this position they must rise to Their
feet for q second, then down on their
knees again, up and down, up and down
a thousand times. Finally. the young
lady is able to st md er ct with far de-
gree of confidence, and now. when no
doubt you imagine the hardest part of the
task to be Ger, my work begins IN
earnest.
"a human being standing on horses
oack is naturally IN awkward animal.
The girls want to 60 about the ring with
their hands and arms either hanging like
pump-handles at their sides, or else
launched ont violently every other mn
ute in an effort at keeping their balance.
the whole effect being stiff and ungracc-
full. must teach them every desired
motion and have names for each motion,
so that when call for it the rider will
know exactly what is wanted. For in
stance when / call for 'foot-back. she
is reuuired to throw one foot behind her,
resting It's toe gracefully on the horses
back. There arc several kinds of foot
back and sfoot-front,' each of which
must be learned thoroughly. I never
put beginner at standup riding on a
walking horse; the lopiag gait is much
easier to ride 1t requires considerable
practice to stand on walking horse, and
absolute genius to keep footheld when
tho oui,nol is troftinp