Thursday, September 25, 2008
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A Blog designed for discussion of topics related to, but not limited to, Circus, Zoos, Animal Training, and Animal Welfare/Husbandry. Sometimes opening up the dialog is the best starting point of all. And if for nothing else when people who agree and don't agree, get together and start discussing it, it will open up a lot of peoples minds. Debate and discussion even amongst themselves opens a window where there wasn't one before.
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7 comments:
Stephanie Probst, daughter of Reinhart Probst.
John.
John,
That deal with the sugar on a serving tray is really cheezy. I for one would rather see the time taken to do another behavior. European Circus really seems to be grasping lately at a sophisticated intellectual persona. Are they trying to convince themselves or the audience?
Wade
Look closely Wade, the nose bands of the horses are called "dropped nose" and are made to go below the snaffle bit to keep little mouths closed. They have put them above the bit which makes them too low and because of that when the side reins are attached pinching can occur. You cannot adjust them up as the way they are constructed to fit the nose below. This is a prime example of no knowledge of the mechanics of equipment and what makes horses click.
Madame Col.
Now that I look again at the nose bands, you are right. I looked quick as the tray of sugar caught my attention, and thought they were just made too big for the horses, or was harness from another act. I knew they were useless where they were hanging.
Wade
Dianne,
This winter when I was in Mexico, I was asked to watch the liberty act, consisting of 4 beautiful arabs and 4 camels, as the new presenter was having problems with the horses. His qualification papers were that he was married to the show owners daughter. I watched from the seats and told him afterwards that he had the horses checked up way to tight. The act was bought from the United States and had worked for a number of years, and was a very seasoned act. I had seen it before, so I knew they weren't renegades. He said, "I think it is something else, look again tonight, I think they are afraid of the number 2 camel." The next show, I went in back and watched them bring the animals to the back door in preparation for the show. Watching them walk up with their heads to their chests, I walked over and looked. The grooms had snapped the check reins "over the bar to the top of the rings!!!!" The rings were pulled out, pinching the jaw with the back side of the ring, if you understand what I am saying. They were telling the poor souls to go left and right, in a "overhanded" way. Their poor minds just said try to get you nose on your chest. I quick unchecked the leader, who was ready to explode, and signaled the presenter over, and said, "look how these idiots have checked the horses." His response, God is my witness, "how are they supposed to be "tied" up!!!!" When I showed him, he went over chewed the grooms out in Spanish, and fired two on the spot, because now he was qualified to tell them what "they" had done wrong. He got so instantly qualified that the horse worked flawlessly after that, and it is a really nice act. Again some animals will just resign themselves to their situation. One of the horses was a very nice horse, and I still regret that he is there, and with his look and conformation could have been a decent western horse.
Going back to my remark to John Herriott, it is why "I" harness and checked up the hot National Show horses, we are familiar with. I have let grooms harness ponies, but I check them myself, nobody else.
Wade
Wade,
You made fun of me before because I said I do it all my self, that is the reason why...
Jody,
I wasn't making fun of you for that reason. There was a female tiger presenter who used to tell everybody she moved her act all by "herself with nobody helping". She neglected to mention while she was hanging paper that for 13 years she promoted a different Mexican prop boy to move in with her on each new show she went to, to drive and load the act. My son is out humping it over the road right, now and even he has never been that "one his own." LOl
Wade
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