New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-05

JOHN OBRIRN.
Arab from Arabia, and Is proud as peacock
clean-limbed and shapely. and flowing as TO name
and tail. Nine years have passed lightly over
Mufu's sleek, ron-gray coat. and the greater pof-
tion of that time he has been under OBriens
saddle. So the star and his understudy are OLD
companions of the ring. and know each others
business to a dot At the slightest movement
Of his masters brlde-hand. all impercepub-e as II
Ii to the beho.der at the slightest variation IN
his knee pressure. Muft feels and knows his RIDERS
thought.
When the trumpet sounds It Is Mutt who Frances
into the arena with O'Brien sitting easily IN MS
saddle In the centre ring Industrious "supers
have built pyramid Of circular platforms OF gradu-
ally lessening diameter. Up to the apex OF th's
Muft goes with a hop. skip aid jump, ana spins
around giving with his rider an imitation OF
washington the Field OF Trenton Beh.nd the
housekeeping Arab trails cavalcade OF oiooued
stock. There are fifty in the troop.
THE STATIONS LEAD THE CAVALCADE.
O'Brien cracks his long whip and calls to the four
big black Trackene stations who lead the herd,
and they gallop into tn ring. There are Sultan. and
Cato and Brunette and Ashland. tail. strong and
back night They are old hands at the business.
for they constitute the remnant OF the band OF
performing stations which travelled with the circus
for several years. Their dispositions have been 80
soured by the trials Of greatness that all but Ash
land have be muzz.ed to prevent them from ex-
perimC ntinz horseflesh as an article OF diet
With much rafting Of hoofs the boards the four
stations Climb up the steps. and stand with their
fore feet on the top platform beside Mufti. while
their hind feet are on the next leve. The next to
make their entrance are a group OF seven Ken
lucky hunters, with glossy sorrel coats and the
lean quarters of the thoroughbred The Kentucky
horses each fall into position with their fore feet on
the lowest step OF the platform. and these are fol-
lowed by a company Of nine thoroughbreds. the
bsCh have
selves outside Of the yellow line Of Kentucky sor
RES. After the bay thoroughbreds comes herd OF
twelve Canadian runners. and then eighteen Shet-
land ponies are admitted and take up their position
on the circular parapet which incloses the ring
The horses each circle head In the opposite direc
ton from those in the ranks on either side. and
each row Of animals has distinctive set Of trap
pings. made throughout Of leather Of the same
color and with pumes Of corresponding tint
THE SHOW BEGINS.
At the word Of command all the animals on the
steps of the pyramid drop their fore feet to the
level on which their hind feet are resting and every
thing is ready for the whvligg to whirl. At the
crack Of the whip and the ong-drawn command.
Forward" the mill begins to grind. The four big
black fellows 90 from right to left the seven slender
Kentucky runners from left to right; the nine bay
thoroughbreds go in opposite direction. and the
cater Of the ironshod hoofs Upon the wooden floor
ing makes a sound like the rattle Of immense
mass Of machinery. The outer circle Of Canadian
horses In the ring again reverse the motion. and
outside Of ALL the eighteen little ponies patter along
on their narrow circular path with an amusing air
Of intense preoccupation. In the mean time Mufti.
the Arab charger who constitutes the apex Of this
rumbiing. spinning. wavering mass. revoves on the
narrow platform which he occupies. In direction
opposite to that taken by the black stations. and
O'Brien. with eyes gancing In every direction. and
whip and voice ready TO be projected instantly in
the direction Of any budding trouble. dominates the
entire affair
O'BRIEN'S ABSOLUTE COMMAND.
At the sharp cry Of Halt" the mill stops as sud
denly a. It started and the doc.le actors in this
four-footed ''a hands around stands each one in his
place At the word Of command they spring for
ward again and go their several ways keeping their
distance accurately one from another II any one.
whether among the principals" In the "chorus"
of his four-footed company. gets sleepy and falls
behind his proper position OBrien shouts his name
and reawakens him TO his duties II any aspiring
youngster overdoes the thing and crowds his leader
his name is called In an expostulatory tone with
the soothing addition of STEADY there" and the
, nosOn ONE OF the ons
horses has his name and knows T. so does o. Brisn
the Identity Of his constituents than has this prince
e e only on sss o; s
the company. and that occurs among the twelve
ar ThG named nsAf
distinguishes them Ss Ss'ng Sne s and
,ss 0tSsa he placed
noints OF the circle. After the performance Is over
m ranks OF horses dismissed one by one. and
thew canter away tc The stable happy as lot
OF children let out Of school after particularly
Weli-behaved and industrious session.
THE TRAINERS METHODS
After the beholder's senses have recovered from
IN. overpowering effect Of the spectacle, his mind
bes1ns TO wrestle with the problem OF how such
annarently human intelligence can be instilled
into such large number Of horses and their move
rnents controlled without bit rein. On the ques:
lion of hts method In training horses for this ana
other performances. yesterday U bren saio'
aro and tried to get Mr. Bailey to let me put It on
Sst summer; ne would not consent. however, be
cause he did not believe II could be done Last win,
Tar I persuaded him TO let me begin practice. ana
after two three months Of conscientious Work
Are distracted by the lights, the music and the
snplause Of the Garden and have not yet got down
% work as smoothly as they did at Bridgeport but
they viii soon get over that. - -
I'm breaking the horses began with the outside
lime with lounge cord as We call H. Inc
lounge cord 10 simply light cord extending from
tho .ringmaSter's hand to the bit OF the morse SO
Siat he n compelled to travel In circle After, !
, had broken In all Of the outside ring ana taught
placed them in position and took the next circle,
working In thus to the centre. 1t was a dncult
matter to get the horses to climb up and down the
SteDs and run around the narrow circles TO which
they are confined. but this yielded TO patience ana
THE WHIP Is NEVER USED.
NY method or handling horses Is to first study
As,I anil uuoa