The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1909-03-18
THE GOAT.

~~~~~~~~~~
Although our grandfathers and per
haps their grandfathers before them,
were amused by trained animals OF one
XII or another. II is only recently that
goats have been educated" for exhibit
lion purposes. Horses. dogs. lions and
monkeys have been performing their
tricks In public for at least a couple
Of centuries. but the trained goat, says
a successful modern trainer. is a pres.
ent day product. He Is not hard to
train, but Is often dlficult to n
In front Of an audience.
As In the case OF all trained animals
the feats that look so remarkable on
the stage are really things that a goat
does naturally In a different environ
ment. The same balancing power that
enables a goat TO stand on a sharp
pointed rock enables 1t to stand on
the top OF a bottle. n the same agility
that helps II 10 leap from one rock
to another helps It TO leap through a
p~aper-covered hoop or over rows OF
chairs The trainer patiently teaches
a goat TO balance. jump stand on its
hind legs. and so forth. at certain def
mite signals rewards It with a lump OF
g when Il Is obedient. n whips
1t when II Is obstinate, The result.
after a long period OF patient labor. Is
a goat that can be expected to do tricks
In public provided the trainer can keep
control OF II.
But what makes the goat hard to
manage In public Is something that
seems like a sense OF humor combined
with remarkable intelligence.
The goat learns that its trainer does
not like to whip It at any time. because
a trained goat Is too valuable to be
But more than that, II
discovers that the trainer win not whip
goat In public. The audience would
Invariably side with the goat. SO the
moment the goat gets In front OF the
audience It Is likely to turn ~dlsobedIent
seats performed readily enough at re-
learsal II VIII try 10 dodge during the
performance. and instead OF staying
In It's place when not perform
ng. Il win now and then plague the
rainer by trying TO run away from
he stage and get back to the stable.
There are often minor changes IN
he performances OF a troupe OF trained
oats that are quite unsupported By 1
he audience. f,
Sometimes a goat gets 50 unmanage- Z
bic that the trainer has to enlist the q
ympathy OF the spectators BY explain
ng matters There was a trained goat I
nee that became day BY day more and I
lore unreliable. until there came a per-
Drmance when the educated animal re-
used to do anything whatever. The
iainer was In despair. and the goat 4
pparently laughing at him. The goat
ad to be disciplined The man knew
must Be disciplined there and then, q
It would become utterly worthless. G
nd the training would have to begin :
over again. He turned 70 the au- q
.
Ladies and gentlemen" he said. !.
here I've got a very bad goat I don't 3
ant TO punish him. You don't want y
e TO punish him. and he knows H. (
are like children. II they're not q
Just when they misbehave It's q
use Furnishing them afterwards =
18th your permission. I'm going TO ..
We this fellow a good touch Of the .
hip and make a well behaved goat p
him."
He held up a hoop for the goat 10 q
mp through. The goat merely looked cs
It and then at the audience The e
swung his whip and the lash q
rled sharply round the goats hind q
With an expression Of sur u
Ise and disgust the animal jumped
rough the hoop. -
Thank you. ladies' and gentlemen" us
q the trainer. snow that goat1l be- pr
We that an audience Is always on 81
side and I shall not have any more ~
uble with hIm~-Youth's Com W
lIon.