PRELIMINARY REMARKS. V 



A horse that is trained to carry a rider in a circus ring, in 

 coming out of the dressing-room he will invariably turn to the 

 right with the ring-master on his near side. He will notice every 

 movement of the ring-master's whip and perform every require- 

 ment with accuracy and promptness. If the same horse is taken 

 back into the dressing-room and then brought out again into the 

 arena and turned to the left, he will be just as awkward, when 

 looking at the ring-master with the off eye, as though he had 

 never been trained at all. 



A colt that is trained to run around a ring at the end of a halter, 

 with the trainer on the near side, for some time it will be a 

 difficult task to make him turn and go the other way, with the 

 trainer on the off side. 



This can be illustrated in another way. The Indian's horse is 

 always mounted from the off side, and in travelling among the 

 Indians we find it a difficult matter to mount their horses from 

 the near side, which is the custom with the white man. 



The same thing is true of the cow that is accustomed .to being- 

 milked on the off side. If she is approached on the near side, and 

 an attempt is made to milk her, she will start off or kick the 

 bucket over. 



The same thing is true of the ox that is trained to work gentle 

 and quiet with the driver on the near side. Now let the driver go 

 on the off side and his commands will not be obeyed, but the ox 

 will be as green and stupid as though he had not been trained at 

 all, thus proving conclusively to the writer's mind that if we want 

 these animals trained to understand us on either side, we must 

 educate both eyes. 



This peculiarity of the horse I first discovered in performing 

 with my educated horse, " Tom," some eighteen years ago. One 

 day I accidentally got on his off side and commanded him to per- 

 form a trick that he had performed a thousand times while I was 



