The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-12-23
TRAINING OF HORSES
HANDLING TO FIT THEM
FoR CIRCUS TRICKS

The Candidate For Ring Housrs
Must Have Special Points Wen De.
velcped - Horses Can he CoaxeA-
Like q Child. bat xos Forced.
"a trainer must possess two quaiif-
cations before he can successfully ed
|ucate q horse TO do the tricks seen In q
must possess kindness and
perseverance.
"A veteran trainer selects bis horses
with as much care as a society woman
plans q party gown The candidate for
the future applause OF the circus going
OF the world must he handsome
lin color, as lear perfect as possible In
conformation and possess an even tenn
permanent His eyes must be large and
devoid OF the least trace Of Vicious
|uess, he must hold bis ears pointed
slightly forward and be must In re q
sensible looking head. broad between
the eyes. Horses that lay bach their
ears ut the approach. OF q man, who
nip ~viciously at every passerby and
whose eyes plainly demonstrate q
mean disposition are discarded. A
trainer will handle no animal OF this
kind.
Once b candidate Is selected he is
shipped to the winter quarters OF the
circus and assigned to a comfortable
stall in a large. clean. well ventilated
barn tenanted by several hundred beau
ties Of his kind. Good hay and oats are
his In Abundance. and for several days
he is allowed to rest and become famii-
Jar with his surroundings. The traiuer
visits him daily and by speaking kind
|ly and occasionally giving the animal a
bit Of sugar gains his confidence. After
u time the horse begins 10 whinny at
the approach Of the trainer. and the
bond Of friendship is thus quickly ce-
mented.
"Then comes the first lesson. The
candidate is introduced TO the training
ring constructed near the barn and al
lowed to wander about ut will. He
smells the sawdUst. the pedestals aud
the harness and ropes that will soon
he buckled about his body and then,
Ihorselike. lies down In the center of the
ring and enjoys Il good roll.
Next day he is led around and
laround the ring for several hours and
soon understands that be Is expected
to encircle the ring of his own accord.
Then u strap is placed around his right
|foreleg. and from this strap "a rope is
run through harness fastened around
his body. The trainer grasps the free
END Of the rope in one hand and a pair
IOf lines attached to the horses bride
in the other. The animal is told to
get up and after the ring Is encircled
la few times the command whoa il
given. If the horse refuses to obey, a
Iquick pull OH the rope draws his leg
from under him. and he is forced to
stop. Only a few demonstrations of
this kind are necessary to show the
horse hat he must stop when the COM
mand is given.
After these preiiminaries are salts
|factorily accomplished the equine puri;
is taught to kneel first on one knee.
then on the other and finally OH both.
All this is accomplished by drawing
up the front legs. one at a time. thus
forcing him down. His knees are
jpadded to prevent injury. and ever!
time he is forced down the command
to kneel is given. AID the animal is
petted and treasured with kind words
until finally he kneels at the word.
1T is in these preliminary lessons
that a good performer is made or
lspoiled. The instructor must be firm
and resolute. but kind. always kind. a
horse is like a child: you may coax
him. but you can't force without spoil
ing his disposition. The animal quick
ly notices any show of ill temper or
l~rOughness on the part of the instructor
and resents it by becoming balky and
obstinate. Blows or harsh punishment
only make him worse. You frequently
hear people assert that animals are
beaten into submission In teaching
them tricks. People who say this never
saw the inside Of the training quarters
of n modern circus. A horse or any 9th
er animal conquered in this way is
never reliable and is apt to spoil a per
torrance by an outbreak OF bad tenn
per. besides being dangerous to handle.
THE next lesson for the horse is the
art Of lying down and remaining mo
.tionless until the word liz given to rise.
This information is impaired to tie
horse In Il similar to the kneel
ing lesson. An ing, NOUS harness
makes it possible for the trainer To
draw the horse down on d soft bed of
hay without injuring him. When the
horse Willingly lies down at the word
Iof command. he Is taught to sit upon
bis launches and then is gradually
drilled into the other tricks that al
ways draw Applause from children and
adults alike.
1T is usually an easy matter to tearh
a horse to stand upon "A PEDESTAL. II
waltz. rear IN his hind legs aud marcb
in unison W tn equine companions aft.
er these simple lessons are thoroughly
learned n the horse understands the
trainer Is his friend and not his enemy.
The horse OF average intelligence