New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-04-08
TRAINING HORSES FOR THE CIRCUS

HOW THEY ARE TAUGHT TO co AROUND IN THE
RING-vALUABLE ANIMALS.
One OF the busiest men connected with the big
Barnum e. Bailey circus is John O'Brien. II is MS
duty to train all the horses used for the ring In
bareback and high school riding All winter long In
Bridgepor; he Is at work preparing the horses lot
the summer tour Of the show. At the Madison
SQUARE Garden last week he asked how he
trained his horses
THE first thing that we have 20 do when we get
new horses is simply TO keep them in the stables
with the others until they get used TO their new
company" he said. ITS singular thing too. how
Jealous horses are OF the newcomers. You may
laugh If YOU want TO. but horses really have their
WAYS Of what might call guyng' green stock
after the horses get used their surroundings
and their stable companions we blindfoId them ana
take them into the ring. While they biindfoded
we train them TO the circular motion-that is' We
make 1t appear natural to them to run around 'he
small ring This requires good deal OF time ana OF
patience II generally takes a month to break
horse to this The natural tendency OF the animal
IS to 20 straight and the going around Is unnatural
to him. Nowadays use a system Of checks ana
lines which render the process much easier
"After the horse has been taught to run around
we take off the blindfold. and the performer for
whom the animal is intended begins to try tricks
with him. The horse Is naturally very observan
and his natural bent Is to do what he sees another
horse do; when are teaching horse to DO
tricks we place him alongside OF another VINO mas
been trained to give him confidence. and the TWO
work together. The rider will first try one ana then
the other 1t is a great mistake TO think that pun
ishment is resorted TO method OF breaking IN
circus horses. Horses that are broken by violent
treatment are not to be depended on. and for ring
purposes we must have horses so trained that they
can be absolutely relied upon.
"A good intelligent animal that has been trained
for the ring will. technically speaking. feeF his rider
and accommodate his motions as much as possible
to the work that the rider has in hand Such horse
is the delight Of a hrstclass bareback rider; and by
the way nearly all of the great riders have their
favorite animals. -, a.. o,-o,s
ence as are the performers themselves IL Is won
derful to contrast what horse VIII 90 . H bn
the audience Is cold. Horses are likely however
Just the as Re TOR stmusng That is
OF the reasons for the several cheeks ana re re na
intended wholly for ornament. as most people sup
"a well trained ring horse is worth easily i, N; 10y,
Riders who large salaries generally IKE TO own
the horses that they ride They ke 10 se IN the
circus who own their own horses make up poor
together for the employment OF a, srtH
Prior TO every act his back has to be rubbed with
TTs must be Carefully washed off after each per
formance or the animals back would get sore IN
short time A first-class groom has 10 De- IN iac''
something of a veterinary surgeon. ,... ,....a
There are really few accidents to the circus horses
when one considers nature Of the work that they
have 70 do We have horses here that have been IN
with MS for ten years The ring work Is not
n,rticularly wearing upon them when they once De,
come accustomed to It, 1t is the travelling around
Tho country that tells them most. AT the same
time they get best Of treatment The rood given
them Is Of nrs-class quality. - - 49,,
~ have trained horses that Mr.. Barnurn' MI:
Railey and other owners have valued at over SoW
simnly because Of their training. such horse must
ba ~ good blood You might think that a horse
tra,ned for the ring and kept in II year after year
would lose any speed that he might ever have but
w. ba,,e horses here now that use In the ring
work that could trot mile In from 2:55 TO 24o.