upon his
appetite. Kept without food for some time the horse becomes naturally
moved at the sight of a sieve of corn in the side-wings. His feats,
the picking up of gloves and handkerchiefs, even the pulling of
triggers, originate but in his efforts to find oats. By-and-by his
memory is exercised, and he is content to know that after the
conclusion of his "business" he will be rewarded with oats behind the
scenes. The postponement of his meals attends his failure to
accomplish what is required of him. Of old, perhaps, some cruel use of
whip and spur may have marked the education of the "trick-horse." But
for a long time past the animal's fears have not been appealed to, but
simply his love of food. Horses are very sagacious, and their natural
timidity once appeased, they become exceedingly docile. An untrained
horse has often shown himself equal to the ordinary requirements of
the equestrian manager after only four days of tuition.

Pope satirised the introduction of horses in Shakespeare's "Henry
VIII.," revived with great splendour in 1727, when a representation
was given of the coronation of Anne Bullen, and the royal champion,
duly mounted and caparisoned, proclaimed his challenge. But for many
years the appearances on the stage of equine performers were only of
an occasional kind. It was not until the rebuilding of Astley's, in
1803, that the equestrian drama became an established entertainment.
An extensive stage was then added to the circus, and "horse
spectacles," as they were called, were first presented. A grand drama
called "The Blood-Red Knight," produced in 1810, resulted in a profit
to the proprietors of L18,000, a handsome sum, seeing that the season
at that time only extended from Easter to the end of September.

The triumphs of Astley's excited the envy of the Covent Garden
managers. Colman's drama of "Blue Beard" was reproduced, with Mr.
Johnson's imitation elephant and a troop of real horses. The
performance was presented on forty-four nights, a long run in those
days. There was, of course, much wrath excited by this degradation of
the stage. A contemporary critic writes: "A novel and marked event
occurred at this theatre on this evening (18th of February, 1811),
which should be considered as a black epocha for ever by the loyal
adherents to wit and the Muses. As the Mussulmen date their
computation of years from the flight of Mahomet, so should the hordes
of folly commence their triumphant register