236 THE HORSE IN AMERICA 



rider could do on a strange horse. These rings 

 were, most interesting, and the largest crowds of 

 visitors were usually attracted by these features. I 

 never saw any "circus tricks" but once. Then a 

 German, who had served in the Civil War, en- 

 tered in the contest making his horse do the com- 

 mon high-school feats, including that of going to 

 his knees and lying down. This German carried 

 off the blue ribbon to the amazement of many, in- 

 cluding myself. The fact proved, however, that 

 the Kentuckians, who happened to be judges that 

 day, were not inhospitable to foreign ideas, and 

 recognized that the best rider was the one who 

 had the greatest control over his horse and could 

 get the most out of him. Now I believe that they 

 were right, though at the time I protested against 

 such a judgment with all my might. Since then in 

 the army riding schools many of these arts are 

 properly included in the course of instruction. No 

 good knowledge is amiss in a horse, and the best 

 rider is he who can make his horse do the most 

 kinds of things, even though some of them seem 

 rather absurd and useless. It goes rather against 

 the grain for me to say this for I, like most gentle- 



