Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-06-12

peated during each drill until horse and
man were fatigued. Ia o week ut least
ten horses would lie down at the bugle-
call without straps by simply patting the
hoof with the hand and telling them
what was wanted. The real work
Of perseverance and patience 10y
with the remaining less brilliant
horses There we're at least dozen
which had apparently come to the firm
conclusion that nothing would ever in
duce them TO submit to the indignity OF
lying down at full length in the dust ex-
cept, perhaps, brute force. Such things
would do very well for the circus, but
for the thoroughbred, twelye-pounds-of
grain per-day horse--never And as
long as they had tooth to bite with, or
a hoof to kick with, these men had bet
ter be careful
With these animals force was used, it
is true, but ii was done in such way
that the horse was not terrified but was
made TO understand that his trooper was
his master whom he must in oil things
obey. 1t may be said, en- pdssa,at,. that
the trooper in certain cases found out
this fact only at this drill With these
high-strung and sometimes vicious horses
four men were necessary, using two long
straps to throw them, and these were
necessarily aided by the lash OF the
troop commander. In six weeks the
horses would oil lie down without straps
at the sound OF the bugle, with the ex-
ception of possibly six or seven, with
which straps we're necessary. and one or
two which still required the heroic treat
ment. While lying down single shots
and volleys were discharged by the men
firing over the horses as rests. Two or
three OF the most stubborn brutes we're
conquered by sheer patience and perse-
particular, Was 80 wild and vicious
that his hind feet had never been
shed, nor had he ever been ridden with
ont serious accident. He was literally
"wild, woolly, and hard to curry The
trouble. with this imp in equine form
was putting the straps on him in the
first place. 1t was like the mice agree
ing that under the circumstances the
best thing to be done WAS TO put a bell
on a collar and put the collar on the cats
neck. But no volunteers appeared to
put the collar on the cat.
BREAKING A BRONCO.
TO accomplish the strapping, strategy
was used, and for y long time without
success. The strap was laid in moose
on the ground and the horse was lead
all Lok ~ hto fora faak
would be in the moose; then with a
quick jerk an attempt was made to catch
his hoof, but the imp was too Quick and
would never walk into any such
trap again willingly. Six powerful
men with straps finally threw
him ono day and held him
down. Then his protests commenced.
His hind feet few out and continued to
fly out, with velocity and power that
were wonderful and in the highest de-
gree exhilirating. And the writer AYERS
solemnly that if there had been any
shoes on that horses hind feet, no mat
ter how tightly nailed on, they would
have flown off and landed probably
somewhere across the river in Mexico.
hluu uedbuItb ntIb ubtug uOhpfSA'
long time. and the imp Was finally ap'
parently quieted and allowed to rise.
After a time an attempt was made to
throw him again, which was an exact
duplicate OF the other. This time, after
throwing him, the lash was applied with
singing cut to his legs at every kick,
and this finally triumphed. In a half
hour he lay quite still and submitted
to pattlng on every part OF his body, in
GLIDING his feet. in ten days he was
gentle as any horse in the troop. BY
tho last of January, 1888, every horse in
the command would lie down at the but
gle-call, allow firing over him in any po-
sition, and arise at tho call for rising.
The best result of the training was the
establishment of complete understand
ing between the horse and his rider, so
that tho latter had n perfect confidence
in bis own ability to ride and manage
the former. and the former, while feel
ing that the rider was his master, was
not cowed by cruelty or brutality.