The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-03-22
ng two lessons day, before you can

ing two lessons day, before you can
train horse to FIRE off pistol.
trained my school Of horses three
years before they we're introduced to the
public. I taught them such tricks as to
bring my mail, pick up my handkerchief,
fetch me chair, erase an example on
the blackboard and to turn forward the
hands of the clock go that the school may
be dismissed early.
THE MOST DIFFICULT LESSON.
Probably the most difficult thing to
teach horse is the meaning of words
and sign language.
Still, it can be done. Horses are
taught everywhere the meaning of such
words or phrases as "whoa," "get up"
"get over" "back," etc.
I am careful when I utter words to
make physical movement to indicate
their meaning. Give the horse the word,
and at the same time in some other way
show him the movement you wish him
to make.
All this is very tedious, because you
have to go through the lesson over and
over.
You want to teach him to obey the
command to turn to the right. Each
time you give the order turn him to the
right, pat him approvipgly, 60 away, and
again tell him to turn to the right until
be knows The meaning Of the command.
It is by this process that one horse will
learn another horses name. In the
presence of the animal I call another
horse, which may be standing over in q
corner, by name. He comes to me. The
horse who is learning his lesson knows it
is not his name that ia called and that he
is not called for. BE hears me contiDu-
ally call the other horse "John," and he
learns that "John" is the other horses
name. He learns this, not only by hear
ing, but by observation and seeing that
horse come to me after being called
"John."
In this way my group of twenty four
horses, of their own accord, have each
learned to know the name of the other.
TEACHING A DEAF HORSE.
But the most interesting task have
ever undertaken in training horses was
the teaching of deaf horse.
About three years ago one of my most
valuable performing an mails, "Casar," "
who understood spoken commands from
some unknown cause lost his hearing.
1t then became necessary for me to teach
him again the movements he was requir-
ed to go through, using an original deaf
and dumb language, or rather certain
motions of the whip.
That Caesar could learn this language
of signs seems uuexplainable to almost
everybody.
BY means of signs he not only under
stands right from left, but can tell tho
difference between circle and the figure
eight. Moreover, he will obey commands
given by persons in the audience and
does not have to 30 through the same act
at every performance. When am train'
ing horse for any particular trick and
he does not go through his work in q
proper way I tap him gently with the
whip, but only enough to attract biz. at
tention to the fact that am not exactly
pleased with his conduct. Inever clash
them into submission" for do not be-
lieve in that theory of training. Such 8
course only tends to scare the horse.'
If horse has successfully gone
through difficult performance I pat him
encouragingly, as much as to say, "That's
good, old boy; you're all right"
After such acts morse, JUST ike
gymnast or an acrobat, will draw long
breath and seemingly say, "Well, got
through that without making break"
If l see the horse is in trouble or he
has hurt himself by slip or fall in
some difficult act, | let him of easy and
do not insist that he shall 60 through the
act again. While you must be firm with
horse and not allow him to "plsy of
SICK" as a boy will sometimes do to
escape going to school, you must exercise
consideration; by so doing you will keep
his respect and strengthen his affection
for vor