Wichita eagle., 1888-05-04
ECIRCUS RIDERS SCHOOL.
WINTER REHEARSALS FOR EQUES-
TRANS AND THEIR HORSES.
Nile. Throughthehoops' Daily Lesson-A
Mechanical Contrivance to Save Her
from FaIling-Why Riders Prefer White
Horses for the Ring.

Mechanical Contrivance to Save Her
from FaIling-why Riders Prefer White
Horses for the Ring.
There is the usual circus ring in the center
of the barn Like building. On two or three
sides of the ring are rows of narrow box
stalls, in which the trained horses have their
homes. A score or more of hostlers and
helpers are about the room, making and
keeping things clean and neat With the
cold blast that comes in at the open door
comes also a tall, rather slim, figure, wrapped
in cloak of fur, and with such hat and
such gloves, and such an outfit generally as
one might expect to see on any lady taking
her morning walk on Broadway. She is de-
cidedly pretty as she trips in, closes the door,
greets every one with CHEEKY ''good morn
ing" and then trips up a fight of stairs to
her dressing room. But before she disappears
from sight she says: 'Please get Bob ready"
Bob is brought out He is big horse,
more white than gray, and is taken from one
Of the stalls which have number very like
him in color in them. That prompts an in
quisitive visitor to ask one Of the titled
people standing round if white horses are the
only ones that viii train well for circus pur-
poses.
Not bit, my boy; bays or blacks or
chestnuts would do equally well, but the
riders like the white ones best Why? Oh,
because they like. to keep up the illusion Of
the ring. See there's the reason why white
horses are used so generally"
As he spoke this professor of horse educa-
ton pointed to young man who was rub
bling Bob's back with a lot of fine powder
1t was powdered resin, and was applied lib
orally to the back OF Bob and carefully
spread over all the broad back on which the
fairy who few moments ago entered would
soon be dancing.
That's the reason why the white horses
are chosen by riders for their uses. Now, if
the horse was black or bay in color the pow
der would lie in great pad like block that
would be plainly visible to every one
Riders, male or female, dislike to have any
one know that they use resin to help them
keep their feet on the animals back So
they use white horses to help out the decep-
ton"
While this explanation of the petty decep-
ton was being INDUCED in the horse profess
sor's assistants had got the mechanic" into
trim That mechanic" looked more like a
gallows than anything else. From the center
of the ring rose strong pole, or mast, which
lost itself in the beams above which served
TO support the dressing room floor. Three
quarters of the way up from the bottom of
she pole there stretched out an arm, which
gave to the pole the gallows like appearance.
A rope which hung from the end of this arm,
with a halter band of leather, added to the
repulsive appearance. The arm moved
noiselessly and easily about the supporting
post. SIS the young lady to be hung on thai
gallows" was the facetious inquiry addressed
TO the man Of horse lore and circus mystery
Eyes, she'll hang there for a half hour.
Here she comes; now see how she does it."
The erstwhile fairy came tripping down
stairs, if fairy can trip when shod in sort
of sabot, much like those worn like the peas
ants of Holland, but with a trife less wood
in them. Great Scottl What a transforma-
Sion The sabots brought down stairs some
thing utterly unlike the graceful woman who,
a few moments before. had gone to the mys-
FERROUS regions of the dressing room 1t was
a being clothed in a cross between bloomer
costume and bathing dress.
The ringmaster fastened stout bit of cord
to the horses bride bit, the other end of
which cord he held in the hand that didn't
halter about the waist of 'the peerless eques-
trienne," and the gallows was ready. But
before her lesson is begun Nile. Throughthe-
hoops goes up to Bob, pats him kindly ON the
head and neck, and gives him a lump of
sugar Friendly relations are thus established
between horse and rider, and she says: "An
right; let him CO." There's a snap Of the
ringmaster's whip, a Enthusiastically wo-
manly ''Get upI" in a shrill, high key, and
the handsome gray begins his gallop about
the little circus ring. He makes half dozen
circuits of the ring, and then Mile. Through
thehoops makes a frantic rush at him, catches
him by the name with one hand, and with
the other seizes the grip fastened to the saddle
girth and leaps to his back At the same in
slant the rope arrangement of the gallows
frame of the mechanic is hauled taut 1t was
well it was hauled taut, too, for the new
horse, startled by the sudden descent on his
resined back, jumps away as if struck by
bullet The rider loses her foothold, and if it
wasn't for that mechanic and its gallows like
arm, she would have had bad tumble. In
stead the mechanic and its arm and harness
keep her swinging in the air, ard she is grad
ually lowered to the ground. The ringmaSter's
whip cracks, everybody yells "Hi-hi-hi,n the
horse finally gets down TO its regular gallop
once more, and the thing is gone over and
over again. Several times the rider is saved
from tumble by the mechanic, and finally
"Bob" is dismissed with pat and lump of
sugar, and another gray horse, who is an old
stager, comes to the ring.
Things so much better now. Mile.
Throughthehoops calls for the banners, and
big strips of white cotton cloth come out in
place of the gay colored silken banners that
would be used in regular circus ring. The
new horse starts III with regular stride,
Mile Throughthehoops, still fastened to the
mechanic leaps TO his back, and the circus,
without its tinsel, is reproduced in minia-
ture. The ''Mlle-" goes on with her act just
as if a thousand people We're watching her,
and courteSies and smiles and waves her
hands as she would in the ring Who is she
courtesying and smiling at! To every en-
ploye in the big building whose duties do
not compel him TO be elsewhere. This crowd
of men are just outside the ring, hallooing at
the top of their voice, "Hi-hi-hi,n and clap
ping their hands and making things hideous
generally. As they shout and the rinEmas-
ter's whip cracks and hands are clapped. and
the rider jumps and leaps and wells at the
top of her voice occasionally, and she really
seems to enjoy it, until a misstep throws her
from the horses back and leaves her hanging
in the air at the end Of the arm of the me-
chanic, but safe because she is in the embrace
of its rope and leather harness Finally.
well tired out, she says Enough" and
leaves the ring for some one else to take
lesson.
The horely school costume discarded and
the street dress resumed, the pretty woman
comes down from her dressing room, and for
=. tina 1rat,has hn husband rrhn i; ~. IL