HOW TO TEACH A HORSE TRICKS. 2-41 



hini if he could find the handkerchief if you should hide it, and 

 give him the sign to make a bow, and he will bow, signifying 

 yes. Have some one cover his eyes while you hide the handker- 

 chief in the pile of dirt or sawdust. When his eyes are uncovered 

 let him run round the ring a few times, and when you stop him 

 see that he stops where he can paw the dirt covering the hand- 

 kerchief. As soon as he sees the handkerchief he will pick it up. 

 Then you can change these tricks to suit your notion. At first 

 you make signs to him and use a different word for each trick, 

 and as you find the horse will do it without the motion, you can 

 dispense with the sign and use the word only. When you first 

 made him lie down you had to strap his feet up, but in a short 

 time he would lie down by simply- touching him on the front legs, 

 and after awhile he would do it by only saying, " lie down, sir " 

 or by the tap of a bell. Observe the street-car horse. He stops 

 for one tap of the bell, and starts for two. The Fire Department 

 horses go to their places by the tap of the bell ; and if you wish 

 you can have your horse perform by taps of the bell. 



In this way you drop the sign as soon as you can. People who 

 do not understand how a horse is taught, think because he per- 

 forms these tricks that he has more sense than other horses. 

 You can take any old plug and teach him to perform tricks. 



When men are selecting a horse to train they generally get one 

 of fine appearance and high-spirited, as they are the best for the 

 purpose. 



The first trick horse I had was a runaway horse I bought for 

 almost nothing. The fourth one, " White Hawk," was a four- 

 year-old colt, and very stylish, that had never been worked. I 

 paid four hundred dollars for him. I kept him for one year, and 

 then sold him to Mr. Skinner, of Ohio, for one thousand dollars ; 

 he is now traveling with a circus. 

 P 



