three sorts of horses in use in a circus--ring
horses, trick horses, and school horses; but it doesn't matter what he
is wanted for, a horse is all the better if he knows nothing. A horse
that has been pulled about and partly trained has to unlearn a lot
before he is any use to us. The less he knows, the better it is."

"Then do you just try any sort of horse?"

"Any sort, so long as he is a good sort, but it depends on what he is
wanted for. If we want a ring horse, he has to be a quiet sober-going
animal, not too well-bred and fiery. A ring horse is one that just goes
round the ring for the bareback riders and equestriennes to perform
on. The human being is the "star", and the horse in only a secondary
performer, a sort of understudy; yes, that's it, an understudy--he has
to study how to keep under the man."

"Are they hard to train?"

"Their work all depends on the men that ride them. In bareback riding
there's a knack in jumping on the horse. If a man lands awkwardly and
jars the horse's back, the horse will get out of step and flinch at each
jump, and he isn't nearly so good to perform on. A ring horse must
not swerve or change his pace; if you're up in the air, throwing a
somersault, and the horse swerves from underneath you--where are you?"

"Some people think that horses take a lot of notice of the band--is that
so?"

"Not that I know of. If there are any horses in the show with an ear
for music, I haven't heard of them. They take a lot of notice of the
ringmaster."

"Does it take them long to learn this work?"

"Not long; a couple of months will teach a ring horse; of course, some
are better than others."

"First of all we teach them to come up to you, with the whip, like
horsebreakers do. Then we run them round the ring with a lunging rein
for a long time; then, when they are steady to the ring, we let them
run with the rein loose, and the trainer can catch hold of it if they go
wrong. Then we put a roller on them--a broad surcingle that goes round
the horse's body--and the boys jump on them and canter round, holding
on to the roller, or standing up, lying down, and doing tricks till the
horse gets used to it."

"Well?"

"Well, you give 'em a couple of hours of it, perhaps, and then dry them
and feed them, and give them a spell, and then bring them out again.
They soon get to know what you want; but you can't break in horses on
the move. The shifting and worry and noise and excitement put it all