The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-07-06
nent in this class are Miss Elizabeth Perry.
MIS- Ethel smith and Miss Hazel Backus.

than the saddle and costume OF an eques-
trienns is a good riding horse and the best
OF this class of horses comes from ken
lucky and southern Indiana. In fact. any
country that is hfly produces good saddle
horses. because there Is more riding IN
such places than driving. and IL Is said
that II is practice that makes the perfect
riding horse. a fine mount. like his mis-
tress. should be kind. This is the first
requisite. A vicious horse, even a sullen
horse. never makes a good saddler, for
he must always be watched Such a horse,
instead OF joining his mistress in the enjoy
ment Of the outing and in pleasant contem-
pIation of the ride, is keeping an eye and
ear open for trouble. He is carrying a
chip on his shoulder. and woe to the rider
who knocks it of at an unguarded mo-
ment. But il is not so with the well-bred
horse. Enjoyment is one Of his chief char
acteristics. and he would no more think OF
marring the pleasure Of the occasion by
unseemly conduct than would his mistress
This trait is remarkably developed in the
wonderful horse June. owned by Miss JOY
Brown, OF North Illinois street, who Is
still one Of the adherents to the old style
of riding sidewise. The horse she rides
IS a sorrel and displays its intelligence IN
every line Of its body. 1t wears an air Of
good breeding as easily and gracefully as
Ats mistress does her habit. The posture or
the head. the prick of the ears, the sensi-
tive lines OF the mouth. the intelligent
CLEAN OF the eyes. all betOken understand
Ing and enjoyment as plainly as II ex-
pressed by a human. June is a beautiful
horse and is direct from Kentucky 1t has
never been entered in any contests and has
only been owned by Miss Brown a short
time, but viii undoubtedly win many re-
wards for its owner IL given the opportun-
aty. June knows all five of the Kentucky
saddle gaits, besides a number Of tricks
such as shaking hands and doing what is
called high school," which is a trick
of stepping high and gracefully with the
fore feet, similar to the march done by the
fancy gated horses in the circus. 1t is also
being taught to kneel while Miss Brown
mounts and a number Of other tricks
which, when it has learned. Will make it as
we'll versed in this line Of work as any
horse in town. The value set on June by
the owner is enormous, for she claims that
money Is little temptation to her when her
horse is considered.
The intelligence Of riding horses is often
employed in the mastering of some grace
ful tricks performed at the will Of the
rider. In fact it is becoming quite the
thing now TO have ones horse do fancy
capers like the one the equestrienne in the
circus ring has. The horse probably that
Is the best drilled i'm these is the one owned
by Mrs. English. Horace Wood imported
H. from Kentucky a year ago last
May. Since that time he has taught it all
the Kentucky saddle movements, besides
the high school," the Spanish trot" and
a number of other fancy gaits. This horse
also spent some time in the training quar-
ters of Gentry Brothers whose trainer
taught it 10 kneel with its nose 10 the
side of the left foot when anyone wants
10 mount. to lie down when told and stay
there until given the command TO rise. 1t
Will also march and step high when told
and do all sorts Of little tricks such as
valtzing and two-stepping. After Mr.. Wood
sold the horse TO Captain English he was
offered quite a large sum by the Ringing
Brothers. who would have paid almost any
price for it. a strange thing with this
horse Is anybody who knows the command
10 give can Go so in an ordinary tone of
voice and the horse responds at once. 1t
would have been an admirable horse for
the circus ring on account of its color,
which is a dapDled gray.
SELDOM THOROUGHBREDS.
Tt may be stated here for the beneht Of
those who are not we'll up on the subject
of saddle horses that they are seldom
thorOushbreds, which do not easily lend
themselves TO saddle habits and are rarely
used. The reason for this is that the thor
oughbred is too excitable and high-strung
and is more for speed than fancy or saddle
gaits. This class OF horses in truth only
knows two gaits-the trot and lope. Occa-
sionally some thorough sportsman who un-
derstands horses perfectly succeeds in
making a satisfactory saddle horse out of
the thoroughbred. but it is very rare. The
ideal saddler is the Kentuckian of mixed
strain, and next to him comes the horse
from southern Indiana. What makes the
saddle horse is practice and perfect train
ing in the start, 1t is often supposed that
riding horses are bred like ~trotters or run
ners, but this is not true. because these two
gaits are natural with the horse and the
saddle gaits are not, This fact is brought
out very cOnelusively in Mrs. English's
horse. 1t was sired by General Wilkes, a
noted Kentucky trotting horse, that, as far
as is known, never had a saddle on his
back. This colt, which was a trotter in
every sense of the word, was broken for
the saddle and has made an EXTRAORDINARY
fine riding horse. An important thing with
saddle horses is not to dock their tails, for
II this is done the beauty of the gated
horse Is ruined. The docking Of the tail al
ways depreciates the beauty of the animal
N the eyes Of a good horseman, and he will
never do it. but with those who adhere To
styles, OF course, this is done all the time.
The horse that trots under the saddle and
which is the stylish horse in New York
and through the East, is the only one that
should have his tail cut. With the horse
that goes in the fancy gaits his tail, which
- carried high and arched. falls in waves
as he either racks or canters along the
street and makes his whole appearance
more graceful.
While the trotting. Looping and walking
horse is now stylish in the East and quite
large sums are paid for him, he is not
much OF a favOrite here. In fact, there is
only one woman In town who rides a horse
or this kind. and she is Mrs. Clinton Hare
The Of this city are more or
the order OF the Ke~ntuckians, who still ad.
here TO the five saddle gafts, which are the
fox trot, single foot, rack. canter and walk
in the fashionable centers il matters little
whether or not a horse is a racker, anC
hardly at all whether he can executa nh,