The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1897-11-19
famous Horse -.

ha1I7~Sons at the bo. e''
Mis bre4ntside the SHOW Tues
bbd5Hhner heretofore, anu horsemen
horses, Burton 9;n BY the two tSeacuI-
Bass has been for marty :yuars To-
ure at horse shows, and for twenty
years has been known as the most sue
cesstul trainer and the best handler of
gentlemen's high school and gated
saddle horses.
At the Chicago Columbian Exposition
Tom and his horses We're very much in
evidence, and they took a large share.
OF the prize money. He rode the great
Forest Squirrel and TOOK first prize in
ms class. He showed Lee Rose. an
other great saddler, now dead, and won
another first prize. At the fair he also
handled Miss Rex. who is to be seen in
the ring here, but not in competition.
and she was also a prize winner. The
colored man and his great trio received
more attention than any other features
Of the contests.
II think we had better horses fifteen
years ago than we have now" said
Bass. but fifteen years ago the train
ers dld not know as much as they DO
now. Tha makes the difference.
THE best horse l ever handled and
the easiest to train was Forest Squirrel.
me hardest vas Leo Rose. had 10
Tight him for months before I conquered
him, but | never rode him without Civ
ms llill All my attention.
FOR thirty years, or since | was 10
years old, | have been riding or training
ana have been fortunate in escaping
serious accidents. ] have had bad falls
ana nave been kicked several times, but
never had a bone broken.
III requires tact and an immense
amount of iirmness, g~entleness and pa
uehce TO train a high school horse, and
a great deal, as regards results, de-
pendS upon a mans bride touch. A
man with a heavy hand will start a
horse pulling and will make that horse
hard to handle.
'On the other hand a man With a
gentle touch can control his mount and
put him through his PAGES handling the
relns so deftly as to cave the spectators
wondering how the horse is guided and
Where ne gets his cues. The trainers
myers manipulate the reins almost i'm
perccptibly.
High school horses loo spirited and
fractlous, but that is part of their edu-
cation. Any man who can sit on u
horse at all, can ride them, and any
man who knows how to ride can show
them almost as we'll as the man Who
trained them. Miss Rex, the gray
mare barred from competition in all the
horse shows, spirited and mettlesome
as she looks, is an easy mare to ride,
Last week, in Kansas City, a Young
lady who had not been on horseback a
dozen times, rod her three hours on
the streets.
"A high school horse has sense, and
II properly trained he can almost go
through his PAGES and show his accom-
pllShmentS without a rider. s~.,j,,1
1T requires three hours work a day
and from six to twelve months, accord
ing to the animals disposition. to grad
uate a high school horse. AS the move
mentS are the same, nearly all the
trainerS use the same tactics and meas
ureS.
THE horse is first worked at his
gaits and taught the slow canter. He
knows those two bits in his mouth
mean he has to arch his neck and hold
his head up. and he soon gets to do this
and pressure upOn him is not needed.
W. take up one movement at a time
and thoroughly grind into the horse.
That finished we begin another, but
continually make him work at the first.
When he has been taught all the move
ments the horse has to be continually
practiced to keep him up to his work.
"A horse has intelligence, and a good
one, When he becomes accustomed to
the crowds around the arena, is as anx-
iOuS to show himself off as his master is.
/ believe some of them actually get to
know the color Of the ribbons tied upon
them,'
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