44 THE ART OF THAINIXG ANIMALS. 



him again saying, " Take it/' and lie will probably do so ; if not 

 place it his mouth and repeat the course already described. 

 When he has learned to take the basket on its being offered, 

 let him follow you around with it in his mouth ; then let some 

 one else give it to him while you stand at a distance j now call 

 him toward you and reward him for bringing it to you. He 

 will thus learn in a short time to bring you any article given 

 him. After this, place the basket upon the ground, call his at- 

 tention to it, order him to ^' take it," and he probably will obey, 

 if not, place it in his mouth and repeat the instruction until he 

 will pick it up from the ground. Then a handkerchief or other 

 article may be substituted for the basket, which articles he will 

 soon understand are to be picked up also. He will soon learn 

 to pick up anything you may drop in his presence, or to seize 

 hold of any article that may be offered him, and this latter act 

 may be applied to many tricks, as hereafter described. 



FINDING A HIDDEN HANDKEECHIEF. 



Having taught the horse to pick up any article dropped in 

 his presence, take a handkerchief and cover it partially with 

 loose earth, leaving it sufficiently exposed for him to readily 

 seize it. Repeat the operation, each time covering the hand- 

 kerchief more and more completely until it is entirely concealed. 

 He will by this means be led to look for it even when it is en- 

 tirely covered up. An assistant may now hold his hands over 

 the horse's eyes while the handkerchief is being concealed. 

 Before an audience this adds to the credit of the performance, 

 but as the handkerchief is hidden in nearly the same place, the 

 horse knows where to look for it and will soon unearth it. 

 Even when hidden at the option of the spectator it is easy to 

 indicate to the horse where to look, by a signal, or his sense of 

 smell will lead him to the spot. Oil of rhodium is said by some to 

 be employed in this trick, to guide the animal to the hidden 

 article. This may be true in some cases but the horse can so 

 easily be taught to accomplish the thing desked without its use 

 that we doubt its being used to any considerable extent. 



Another plan adopted for teaching this trick is the following : 

 Spread on the sawdust a white cloth containing a liberal supply 

 of oats, lead the animal around the ring and let him take some of 

 the oats. This is lesson first ; its object being to fix in the 

 horse's mind a connection between the cloth and the oats. The 

 march around the circle being once or twice repeated, he stops 

 at the handkerchief as a matter of course. By dint of practice, 

 say in a couple of weeks, he will learn to stop as readily in a 

 trot or a gallop as in a walk. After a time the handkerchief 



