The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-08-12
HORSE TRAINING.
Prof. Gleason at the BiJou Rink.

Last evening Prof. 0. F. Gleason gave the
hrst OF series of practical illustrations of
morse training at the Bijou rink before
falr number of spectators. The Professor is
large, athletic man, agile in his movements
and thoroughly self-possessed. Previous to
beginning his exhibition he gave short
lecture, in which he pointed out some of the
fundamental principles of his profession
and called attention to some of the errors
Which are commonly made by men who
break and train horses. Horses, he said,
differ in their constitutions and tempera-
ment, and it was necessary to their success
full training to discover each ones peculiari
ties and take them into account Some
horses were nervous and sensitive, others
dull Some were naturally trusty, while
others were treacherous. The more brain
horse had, the more readily was he trained
and educated. A horse with small ears
wide apart, with thin eyelids and large
nostrils was as a rule an intelligent animal;
while large ears near together, with thick
eyelids and small nostrils indicated dizziness.
Many of the tricks of the horse the trainer
or driver was responsible for. He
was sometimes asked if he could cure all
balky horses, he could not simply because
he could not cure their balky drivers. He
impressed upon his audience the danger of
using the same word of command when diff
ferent things were wanted of the horse.
Some drivers shouted whoa when all that
they wanted the horse to do was to go slower
and if he stopped he was frequently whip
ped for misunderstanding the Needing of
the driver. The result was the horse be-
came confused and did not know whether
whoa was signal to stop or to go ahead'
so when an accident happened and the
driver shouted whoa the horse was as likely
to run as to stop. Whoa he said should
never he used except when a complete stop
was wanted. Some such expression as
STEADY or "easy'' shonld be employed
horses speed. The Professor announced
that to control the horse it was first neces-
sary to inspire him with fear of his trainer
and next to inspire him with love. BY fear
he did not mean terror however.
The first horse brought into the ring
was large bay owned by Mr. Charles
j. Walker The horse was very much
afraid of music and the discharge of fire
arms. After putting on his briddle which
the Professor explained at seme length, he
After he was seated on the animal back, an
attendant brought an umbrella which the
Professor suddenly spread over the horses
head The horse baked furiously and the
Professor went off. He quickly remounted
and in a few minutes the horse was thor
oughly familiarized with the umbrella and
allowed it to be rested on his head and
opened and shut suddenly. Next, flags,
bells, drums and pistols were brought
into requisition.. Ropes, were. tied to the
nd froa andc hold
in the Professors hands. When afiag was
shaken in front of the horse or pistol fired,
and the horse started, the Professor gave a
smart jerk on the ropes, shouted whoa, and
the horse was brought to his knees. In this
way he was soon taught what whoa meant
Soon, no matter how much din was made
the horse would stop Immediately at the
word of command and suffer flags to be
shaken in his face without attempting to
bolt. He was then harnessed to a buggy, the
ropes taken off his fore feet, pistols were
fired, drums beaten and flags shaken with
out apparently much disturbing him.
The next horse was a colt belonging to DR..
E. Maxwell, which sometimes kicked and
bolted. In order to thoroughly subdue the
animal, the Preseason thought it necessary
to throw him, which was accomplished by
his attendants by means of ropes attached
to the horses feet. The horse struggled
hard, but after while he was laid on his
side. Then drums were beaten over him,
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the horse appearing utterly Indifferent to
them. After he got up he was driven in a
buggy amid the din of the Salvation Army
without difficulty.
The next horse was a genuine kicker"
and be proved hard ticket.iThe ropes were
fastened to his fore feet and the professor
held the ends in his hands getting far enough
behind the horse to be out of range of his
heels. The animal was then tapped with the
whip. Up went his heels, and down he
went on his knees as the professor jerked
the ropes. As soon as the Professor Stacked
the rope up went the horses heels again A
tin pan was tied so that it hung down on
the horses flank This made him wild and
his heels flew more fast and furious than ev-
er Gradually, however, he became tired
and his kicking was less frequent. Then the
Professor harnessed him to the buggy and
the ropes were taken off The Professor
soon found that the horse was by no means
cured of kicking. His heels were in the air
as much of the time as the time as the law of
gravitation would permit The ropes were
called for again and the horse was driven
with them. But he still continued to kick
After while however, he became so thor
oughly winded that he could kick only occa-
casionally. The disposition was there
still though the ability to crafty it for the
time being had partly disappeared. The
Professor thought it would need at least one
more lesson to cure this horse. The Specta-
tors thought so too.
Tonight there will be another exhibition
with q chanpa of OrOpr9mmp