Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-01-21
HORSE WHISPERERS.
Men Who Can Control the Most Vicious
Animal By Voice.

Animal by VolCSs
The horse whisperer might be an
unknown quantity in England and Ire
land today, but there are not few
men who exercise a wonderful control
with their voices over horses which
when the dominating influence is alb
sent are apt to literally kick over the
traces. In the thoroughbred stables of
England and Ireland today there are
not q few stablemen and jockeys who
succeed in holding in check the vice
in horses which in demonstrative
manner show that they cannot tolerate
the presence of the grooms or atten-
dantS.
Nimrod claimed for Count Duval a
power and influence of the human
voice over the brute creation. but that
power was backed up by lecture to
the horse with 'his clinched fist in his
face"
But the horse whisperer of today
avoids all gesticulation and trusts en-
tirely to combination of sounds or
words. There is no bullying done, and
the whsperer can face mad horse
with his hands behind his back and
apparently at the mercy Of the beast
that has to come under. the charm.
One means of keeping remount horses
quiet in stations during the South At
rican war was that employed by the
yeomen, who sat in ring of head to
head horses singing as loudly as possi-
BILE and riveting the ears and attention
of the otherwise sprawling and hungry
animals.
One of the first whisperers to ac-
uuire absolute control over fractions
equines was Con Sullivan, who mi
grated in his youth from Kilmallick,
where he could trace his genealogy
through a long line of snafflers, and
became almost exclusively employed
by Lord Doneraile. The whisper of
this man made an indelible impression
upon any horse, bringing the pupil to
degree of docility unattainable in
the ordinary course of discipline.
The race horse King Pepin famous
racer vicious and reputed to have
killed two grooms at the Curragh, once
came under his charge. He was want
ed to win a race at Mallow, but when
saddling time came it found him in
one of his unmanageable moods. He
reared, plunged and flung fore and
and jockey. 1t was at this crisis that
some one recommended that he should
be whispered" AS it was the only
chance left Of tanning him in time for
the start, his owner gladly availed
himself of it, though warned that
horses were sometimes thrown into a
state of stupor by the process.
Sullivan was soon found, and he was
delighted at the opportunity of "fwhu-
iSperin' before so much 'quolity' from
all parts" "Show us the wild baste,"
he said, "and We'll soon tache him
manners"
When he got within the circle-and
a wide one it was-in which King Pc
pin was playing his antics he walked
up to him, approaching the horse from
behind. He mumbled some words as
he walked which, though not quite
inaudible, were as unintelligible as
sermon in the unknown tongue, but
they had a most magical effect on the
horse, for he stood stock still. Sulli-
van then patted him on the neck, while
he whispered a word or two in his ear,
whereupon King Pepin went on his
knees and incontinently lay down.
The whisperer then stretched him
self on him at full length, took out a
pouch containing pipe and tobacco,
flint and steel. struck light and blew
a cloud as he lounged on the stomach
of this high mettled colt with as
much composure as if he were seated
on bench in his favorite taproom.
After two or three puffs he got up,
beckoned the nag to his legs, saddled
him and walked off to the starting
post, the horse following and fawning
upon him like a dog. He won the race
in a canter-London Live Stock Jour-
nal