" cnoss-snoEiNG." xxxi 



Defiance soon leai*necl that running was an extremely toilsome 

 manner of progression with a pound weight on the toe of each fore 

 foot, and he also realized that it was inimical to the pacing gait. 

 But the sevei-e exertion of the five tremendous heats with Edsrinton 

 had made him so "sore," that when called upon to trot, the following 

 day, he resorted to the hand-gallop to escape the punishment the 

 fast trotting inflicted. I have read an account of a plan adopted by 

 Astley, of circus i-enown,. that is pertinent to the question of 

 mental influences on the horse, and which is so well authenticated 

 that it may be received as the ti-uth. A horse, after a due 

 course of education of the period, consisting mainly in severity, 

 performed his pail satisfactorily; but after a short time, " though 

 faithful at rehearsals, in the presence of the assemblage he balked. 

 The unmerciful castigation could not be inflicted in the course of the 

 play, and he took the advantage of his knowledge that he could shirk 

 his task with impunity. The plan was adopted of filling the circus 

 with spectators, and when, relying on their presence, he refused to 

 go through with his part, the punishment was inflicted with extra- 

 ordinary severity. This destroyed his confidence in the immunity 

 which a crowd of people afibrded, and there was no more trouble 

 with him. A still better illustration, and one which is more nearly 

 analagous to the subject under consideration, I witnessed in Chicago, 

 in 1857. At that time Franconi was there, and the trick-horse he 

 brought from France was ailing. He bought a roan horse called 

 ' Chicago Top, and I took a great deal of interest in witnessing his 

 manner of training liim. Part of his system was weights ajjiilied 

 to the ankles when teaching him to dance, and these were supple- 

 mented, at times, with strings of small bells. The efiect on his 

 action was astonishing. Knees and hocks were sharply bent, and 

 this greater elevation of the feet and increased rapidity of stroke 

 enhanced his capacity of keeping time to the music. When per- 

 forming, the bells were kept on, and this was supposed to be for the 

 same purpose of castanets in the cachuca and cracovienne, but it was 

 in reality a reminder of the lessons he had received. 



I have known the small bells successfully used in training trot- 

 ters, and the old-fashioned "rattles" owed a portion of their efficiency 



