The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-29
IDEAS IN TRAINIsG HORSES.
One Who, After Twenty Years Experience, Sees
Something New In That Line Every Day.

Professor McKeown. the horse man, was found
at the Avenue Rink, yesterday afternoon, en-
gagged in an attempt to subdue an unruly bronco.
Alter disposing OF the animal and giving him
into the charge of his attendants. the Professor
rem arked. There Is greater diversity among
the dispositions of men than among the DISPOSE
tons OF horses. I have been engaged in the
study Of the horse for twenty years, and meet
something new every day. It il . source Of
great delight to me to study this noble animal.
My agent there says that am continually dis
.coursing on the subject in my sleep, but guess
that is a little overdone. One thing do be-
lieve that is that men under estimate the intel
ligence OF the horse. Ny observations all tend
to confirm that Why, you teach horse
almost anything except to talk. He may be
taught to start by the calling of any sound. By
humber by Swapping sticks, by any means one
may adopt. He will learn march. to perform
all sorts of tricks. in fact to do most anything
one wants him to. [ have horses
that could be taught in afternoon all
the tricks you see them perform in circus OF
course, there others that very dull, aud
it is only by the EXTREMIST discipline that they
learn anything can tell when horse is led
put before me by the shape of his head what
sort of an animal he is. When you with
a long slim ear broad between the eyes, straight
forehead, with = large full. round eye, CT hazel
color. thin nostrils, you set it down that that
animal Is well bred and very intelligent Take
horse having these same features. except
hollow forehead and dished nose, and you al
most Invariably find him with some vicious
habits. There is science of craniology among
horses just there is among men. horse
with the same features as the first one have
mentioned, having Roman nose, is always
animal of great endurance and great will power
They make the best horses when thoroughly
trained On the contrary, when you see an ami
NAL with thick ears, hair hanging out OF them
inch so long, narrow between the ewes and
bars. small, fiat, sunken eye covered by a thick
eyefd, thick. heavy nostrils, then you have
what horsemen term d Junk head; he can't
learn anything
What is the first thing You do when you take
vicious horse to discipline himf" asked the re-
porter
The first thing is to let him know that you
are master. It is often necessary to throw him
dozen times 10 settle the question, yet when
Il is done much has been accomplished toward
tanning him. Always show the animal that you
are his master Then IN my training. always
seek to have punishment follow every offeuse
that the horse commits He soon gets TO assoc
eating the penalty with the crime, and as
as be does that he will stop offending. It's like
violating law of nature with limits Her
/ bert Spencer's ideal method of disciphne-and
/ it never fails work probably. | often have
some hard struggles with animals. but when |
get them TO assoeiating these two ideas of of
Tense and punishment together. that ends the
difficulty
ibid You ever try your hand mulesl" in
terrupted the reporter.
stNo draw the line on horses. L am with
the mule like the Irishman is with the negro,
have natural antinathy toward him." The
Professor at this juncture was interrupted by
several gentlemen calling to see him shoss'
matters. and that OF course closed the inter-
view.
The second exhibition at the irsinia-a avenue
rink by the Professor was given last night.
good crowd was present to witness another one
of Showers horses snbdued This time the ami
NAL was kicker. OF all the sky-scraping mo-
tions that horse ever went through this
certainly one OF the most exciting. The animals
heels flew out and in like the piston-rod of an
engine--t was like streak in the air. The
Professor, however, soon cut the performances
short and the animal had TO endure the indisnity
that his predecessors had the previous night
have the Chinese band play a requiem his
prostrate form and be led from ring amid
how1s from the crowd The So. 600 team Of r.
r. Rouse, beautiful span of gTeys. ex-
hibiElan at the rink Professor Mckeown has
taken them train ard promises TO give first
class. exhibition with them before he closes his
engagement