Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-03-17
TWO HORSES THAT DIVE.
They Seem to Enjoy the Fun as Much as
Their Audiences.

The intelligence displayed 10y many of
our animals, both wild and domestic. is
surprising. Dogs and horses, especially
from their long association with man.
and because of their natural tcmprra-
n!cnt, can be taught Il great many inter
eStlng and beautiful tricks. We have all
seen dogs carrying bundles. papers, or
| baskets along the street, and know how
faithful they are to their charges, neither
stopping to play with others of their
KIND, nor allowing anyone but their mas
ter To relieve them of their burden
Other feats that these faithful creatures
often perform are: Begging rolling
over, walking and dancing ON their hind
| legs. and jumping over sticks or through
the arms. Horses, besides performing
many fcatS which are taught them. often
show considerable intelligence in unfas-
! tcning gates or letting down bars 81 that
they may escape from the pasture.
| One of the most beautiful fratS that |
| have ever seen performed 10y horses is
the high diving by King aud Queen.
! Ihes" two beautiful animals were raised
/ on II western American farm: they are
both snowy white and perfectly formed.
| klnS has dark. lustrous eyes. while his
J mate has light-hluC ones: both have pink
| lsh muzzlcs. and both are kept immacll-
! lately clean and carefully groomcd. as
such valuable animals should be-
1t is said that they were kept in pas
| lures on the opposite sides of II river,
| the bank on the side on which * ing was
! kept being high and 0yerhanging the
1 water Both animals had always shown
4 q fondneSS for the water. and one would
often make the plunge into the river auo
| swim across to join its mate From
| watching this performance was con
| ceived the idea of training them to cN,
! n IL a. ,,.bt .h
ried out with the greatest success.
\ 'knock-down" staging was con
| structed. and is carried about with the
! horses and used ut every performance
! it has an incline of about 30 degrees
| and the top is about 30 feet above tho
water: about feet below the top plat.
! form is a small one on which the horses
! place their feet Just before making tho
! plunge; this is so that their bodies may
| take II more vertical position, and that
| they may strike the water with the least
| resistance.
They require about II feet of water
| III which to make their live. They are
] most often shown mt places where there
| is natural body of water for the pur-
! pose: but frequently a pit is dug, and
the bottom covered with canvas which
! is filled with water and in this impro-
! vlSed tank they do their stunt" twice
! daiy-in the afternoon and evening.
| The two horses are stationed at the
! point where they are To leave the water.
and one of them. usually Queen first is
| led to the foot of the incline. With Il
toss of her head, she quickly runs to the
| top of the staging, looks over to see If
| the course is clear. then without hcsita-
| ti0n drops her fore feet to the small plat
| form and makes the leap. They strike
! the water with their fore feet extended
! and the head thrown back ON th" shout
yl.y . . a
| great. They are under water from three
to six seconds; then. with Il shake of the
| head to clear the water from the eyes
| each makes for the spot where the mat"
| is standing. King is apparently proudcr
| and more deliberate than Queen; he goes
! up the incline slowly, and pauseS at the
! top to look about at the crowd of pcopI"
| below. often whinnymg. apparently to
| attract attention to himself. He makes
| the more graceful dive of the two. keep
| ing his fore feet straight. while Queen
! has hers doubled when in the air. ~
| soon as they come from the water they
| are rubbed dry. cover Il with blankets.
| and led to the stable, where they are
! carefully groumcd.
Occasionally we lind some one who
| thinks II is cruel to make hor-c~ dive
| from such "a height. but tn" fact s. That
| they do NOT appear TO dislike il al Hli
aud they certainly like to- hc ia uc Wa
| ter How much more fortunate 1Fo they
| than many of their kind that have {" 81"
| the hardest sort Of work from morning
until night. and often upon ~uauty cor u-
sufficient ration~, These horses have u''
! best of care. the best Of food. and pltW
| Of exercise and apparently are lu itt'
| best of health and lWupr They bay"
! been exhibited from the Atlantic to th"
! Pacific ocean and in Europe From MAJ
| ture and Science IN 81. Nicholas.