San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-01-10
A COLLEGE FOR HORSES.
HOW THE STEEpS IN THE NEW YORK
FIRE DEPARTMENT ARE TAUGHT.

fIhE DEfNh MEN NhG lNOSr1l U.
Marvellous Things Accomplished In Few
seconds-Appies and Lumps Of Sugar
for tue Good Scholars-Started in Eleven
Seconds.
That's the best educated horsa in New
York. He is the most intelligent horse that
ever came out of school,
The speaker was a broad shouldered fire.
man, who stood at the door Of down town
engne house. The handsome roam which
stood few feet away ready to jump into his
harness, seemed to know what was being said,
for he twisted his head and arched his neck
in the proudest manner. A moment later.
under the direction of the fireman, he went
through wonderful exhibition of fast har-
Messing, showing almost human intelligence.
He practically harnessed himself, and did it
SO quickly that the eye could scarcely follow
him.
What the fireman said of the horse was
true. He had been to school, from whence
he graduated with distinguished donors.
There are many interesting things in New
York, but there are few things more inter-
esting than the school from which this par
tcular horse graduated. 1t Is situated in the
UPPER part OF New York and is under the
management of several veterans of the fire
department, commanded by well known
veterinary surgeon, who is practically prin-
cipal of school.
And there is as much hard studying done
in this school as in any in New York, even If
the pupils are horses.
The school in New York educates horses
for the fire service only. 1t is a more i'm
portant institution than most people may at I
first thought imagine it to be. Intelligent
horses are almost as indispensable as are in |
telligent men. A stupid, slow or a balky |
horse may at times cost the loss of thousands |
of dollars, and perhaps many lives The de |
lay of two or three seconds in getting fire [
engine out of the engine house sometimes
gives fire an impetus that is unnecessarily |
damaging to life and property. The horses
turn d out from this school are warranted to
be strong, intelligent and to have thorough
knowledge of their business. They never
balk, they are never lazy, and are in every
respect reliable, being sound of wind and
limb and more than intelligent.
SELECTION AND TEACHING.
The horses are all picked, but they seldom
are of any use for fire work after five years
Of service. They are selected by experts from
among the best horses that are to be found at
the Bulls Head horse market, the chief horse
market in the United States. The horses
selected come mainly from the west 1t re-
quires some skill to pick out horses for use in
the fire department. Big and clumsy horses
are of no use. But the horse must be speedy
and strong. The horses selected are usually
about sixteen hands high, weighing from
l,2OO to l,45O pounds, and their ages range
from to years. Younger horses are not
strong enough to drag heavy fire engines, and
older ones are too old to train.
AS soon as the horse is bought he is sent to
the school, and DR.. Shea, who is in charge of
this institution, says that in his opinion
horses and boys are very much alike, and
must be managed in very much the same
manner But DR.. Shea believes in kindness
as a means &c goS control of his pupils and
teach them.
1t is marvellous how quickly these young
horses learn what it is necessary for them to
know before they can be put to work. The
men who handle them know their business
thoroughly, and are in love with it. Under
their careful handling the green horse under
stands his duties in little more than month.
No whip is used in this school. The first test
is that which establishes the soundneSS of the
animals wind. Then he is put in his stall.
He is led backward and forward to where the
harness hangs until he becomes used to the
engine, and until he also becomes accustomed
toducklng or lowering his head to get it into
the collar.
When he accomplishes his task well he is
given apples or candy or Jumps of sugar,
and is petted and made much Of He is next
taught to rush to his place in front of the en-
CINE at the clang of the gong. When he be-
comes expert at this his education is COM
plete and he is ready for serious work, and
week later can run to a fire as well as the
most thoroughgoing veteran.
There are always a dozen horses being put
through their PAGES at this school, which is
constantly becoming more and more of
necessity. These horses cost about $500 each,
and after their five years they are disposed
of to street pcddlers or cartmen for any sum
from $50 TO $50. These horses are so well
taught that they never forget their training.
1t is not an uncommon thing when fire en-
CINE dashes through the streets of New York
to see some dilapidated looking nag attached
to some hucksters wagon prick up his ear
and join in the race to the scene OF the fire
1t is an old and broken down fire horse VIII, |
can't forget the stirring days when he helped |
vi Ia" an eiSLIIS' IL 10 IAc siIhe sDlTlC Una,
led broken down hunters to join in the hunt |
at the sound of the cry of the hounds
TIE CHAMPION TEAM. |
There are some wonderful horses in the
New York fire department, but the cham
pions are "Joe" and Charley" the splendid
team that are attached to engine company
u, in Chambers street. These were the prize
winners at the worlds fair at the American
Institute IN 1885, and they are still the cham
pions They are the two most famous scholars