The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1893-07-08
TANNING VICIOUS HORSES.
Mysterious Power Handed Down From
Father to Son in an Irish Family.

Mysterious Power Handed Down From
Father to Son in an Irish Family.
It is commonly believed that
there are undoubted mysterious in-
fuences by which ascendency is
gained over the horse, independent
of the process of teaching or the
promptings of affection, says the
St. James Gazette. There was
formely living in the county of Cork
a family who laid claims to the
possession of a secret by which the
widest or most vicious horse could
be tanned. This secret is said to
have been originally impaired by a
Bohemian gypsy to the head of the
family a century and half ago,
and to have been regularly trans
mitted as a parting legacy at the
time of his death from the father
to the eldest son. Possibly there
may be residing in Cork county a
scion of the, family still practicing
with more or less success the art Of
"horse whispering" But it is an.
undisputable fact that at the COM
mencement of the present century
the fame of Con Sullivan, the then
head of the family, for miraculous
cures of vicious horses had spread
far and wide throughout Ireland.
Among the many well attested ac-
counts of the wonderful achieve
ments of Con Sullivan, "the whis-
perer," the services which he rend-
cred Col. Westenra, who afterward
succeeded to the title of Rossmore,
were the talk of the whole country.
The colonel had a splendid race
horse called Rainbow, and he was
anxious to run him in the races on
the Curragh of Kildare; but the
horse was so wild and vicious that
his owner found that he must give
up all thoughts of bringing him
out and running him. He would
bite every one who went near him
(like the present Lord Falmouth's
brute, Muley Edris, who "savaged''
the late Fred Archer's ARM, and it
was necessary to tie up his head
when the groom who attended him
was not with him. If a horse
chanced to be near him he was
sure to bite him, or to try to, and
the legs of the jockey who attempt
ed to mount him did not escape his
fangs. Lord Doneralle said he
knew " a person who could cure him
The colonel would not believe him
and wager of FL 900 was laid on
the matter.
A messenger was dispatched fol-
Con Sullivan, who was known
through the country side as 1.-The
Whisperer," from the supposition
that he whispered into the horses
ear, by which means he quieted
such as were unruly. When he was
told the state of Col. Westenra' g
horse he desired to go into the
stable to see him.
"You must wait till his head is
tied up" was said and repeated by
those who were present.
"No OCCASION" said Con, che
won't bite me-"
So in he went, after peremptorily
ordering no one to follow him till a
given signal should imply that
they had permission. He then
shut the door for an unenviable
tete-a-tete. In a little more than a
quarter of an hour the signal was
heard. Those who had been wait
ing in alarm for the result rushed
in. They found the horse extended
on his back, playing like a kitten
with "The Whisperer," who was
quietly sitting by him. Both horse
and operator appeared exhausted,
principally the latter to whom it
was necessary to administer brandy
and other stimulants before he
could be revived. The horse was
perfectly tame and gentle from that
day.
In the spring of 1904 Mr.. Wha-
ley's King Pippin was brought out
to run at the Curragh of Kildare.
He had been described as horse
Of the most savage and vicious dis
position; he had the habit of flying
at and worrying any person who
came near him. When he could
turn his head round he would seize
the riders leg with his teeth and
drag him from his back. The diff
Guilty in managing such a horse
may be conceived, and on this oc-
casion it was impossible to put a
bride on him. "The Whisperer''
was now sent for. He remained shut
up in the stable all night. In the
morning King Pippin was seen fol-
lowing him like dog; lying down
at the word of command and per-
mitting any person, without resist
ance, to put his hand into his mouth,
while he stood gentle as lamb.
He was brought out in the course
of the meeting, was run and won
the race.
The fame of "The Whisperer"
had now spread throughout the
country, and his services were in
I'LL.