The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-31
KAISER WILLIAMS HORSES.
Hundreds of Animals in His Stables,
All LabOriOusly Trained.
Pail Mall Gazette.

Hundreds of Animals in His Stables,
All LabOriously Trained.
Pail Mall Gazette.
Kaiser William can be said with truth
to be horsey man, for his news at Pots
dam and Berlin contain a stud running
into the hundreds. In numbers he is. how
ever, beaten hollow by his cousins of Aus
tria and Russia, but in quality his four
footed subjects are up to the standard or
any other monarch. About two hundred are
carriage horses; the rest are used for the
Piled from the imperial breeding studs.
About forty remounts are required every
year. In the spring the master of the horse
and the two departmental directors travel
round to the various studs and make a Sc
lection from the four-year-olds not required
for breeding purposes. Horses for heavy
work are obtained elsewhere. Saddle ami
mails for weight are selected from among
English and Irish hunters, and swift car
riage horses are purchased in Hungary
or Russia.
At the head of the Berlin news is a mas
ter of the horse. the clerical work being in
charge of privy councillor. The walls are
ornamented with pictures of former occu-
pants of the imperial news, biped and quad
ruped, and there is a library containing
complete set of hCrsey literature. The per-
sonnet consists mainly of active officers,
the remainder are so-called volunteers, who,
however, must act as reserve officers. The
uDdresS is a blue frock coat with short
skirts, cap, white trousers, and jackboots.
On parade days the cap is changed for
cooked hat and red tunic with heavy cav
airy sword The assistants are mostly
non-commissoned officers with clean
sheet. The grooms and stable boys are also
selected from the cavalry and enjoy many
advantages, such as free lodging and med
ical attendance. Their working jacket is
red. but outside the news they wear black,
the usual CHIMNEY pot" Whenever the
Kaiser uses his low dog cart, the groom
changes his livery for a brown one, the
adler" pattern on the hatband being in
gilt.
The Kaisers, favorite color for, carriage
at nothing less. than killing pace whether
that most Of the splendid dapple
drivers within a couple of seasons. His
Hungarian grayS, known as fucker, are
used mostly as "four-in-handS,' and are
under the superintendent of a Hungarian
trainer. There are in all twenty of these,
so that the Kaiser can always rely on hav-
ing a team in perfect condition.
The imperial saddle horses are selected
with special care The . qualities required
himself are speed, staying power, perfect
security in action. steadiness under fire
and amid popular demonstration, quick
obedience, a soft mouth and noble appear
s.nce. 1t is put through a daily exercise
in order to maintain 1t at the same perfect
standard. An animal that cannot come out
of the ordeal of training without a mark
against it's name is rejected without scru-
pie, whatever may be the other qualities 1t
child's play, but involves the use of a good
deal Of apparatus, and is most scientific in
its character, 1t resembles very much
certain American system in which the eye
and ear are trained, as well as the mouth.
The animal Us attached by. the circingle
between two uprights, and kept going on
the same spot in order to strengthen the
leg muscles and lend pliability to them. For
horses that show any signs of sluggishness,
which puts a liveier action into them.
Before trusting them between the shafts:
they are ridden with saddle and traces and
onto these latter drag a number of the sta
bic boys, who regulate the resistance ac-
cording to the requirements of the animal.
A by no means inconsiderable part of the
animals education is taken up with accus-
tOming them to the sights, which, when the
Kaiser is on their back will be included
soldiers. the crowded, noisy streets, the
music of bands, the crack of musketry,
and the roar of artillery, On the exercise
ground they are walked beside drummers,
and ridden literally up to the lannon's
mouth, and now and again the animals are
treated to a perfect pandemonium of noise.
The riders also come in for training
a capital idea being that of the ball game
on horseback The ball Is attached to the
air and catches it again. By this means
he is compelled to give his attention to the
ball and to guide and control the. horse
with his legs by altering the center of grav-
itation of the body. He thus secures for
himself free and easy seat in the saddle,
instead of anxiously following every move.
Harvesting is in pairs, which are driven
from the box. Driving four-in-hand from
the box is only resorted to in the case of
the dapple grays, or when the Kaiser pur
sues the chase. In the news the four-n-
hand method is the so-called a la Daumont
Il. e., with Positions. For the six-in-hand
there is only one postillion. On state oc-
casons when the Kaiser appears drawn
by eight horses, the two shaft animals are
driven from the box; the rest are led by
grooms. The horses are plumed, but the
trappings are by no means gorgeous. Pos
tiions precede the carriage, and in between
them and the leaders rides the master of the
horse or some other high official.
The Kaiser very seldom drives single
harness; but the royal princes can often
be at POtsdam in their pony phaetOn.
which they themselves drive, accompanied
by their instructor in pince-nez and silk hat.
To every pair of horses is a groom and
there are three vets who have also
charge of the smithy The animals receive
the same amount of feed as the cavalry
horses-about seven Kilograms of oats per
day. There is an auction at the stud twice
a year, and the purchaser has the advan-
tage of knowing exactly the kind of
creature he is buying, inasmuch every
defect is conscientiously committed to
paper. and taking" is unknown. At such
auctions there is a regular scramble to get
hold of 'Kaiser's horse" for it is easy to
ride. and answers readily to the pressure
of the knee as to the rein--in fact, the
Kaiser does much more with his leg than
with his hands. and the horses have to un-
dergo a special and laborious training to
adapt them for use by their imperial rider.