Friday, January 14, 2011
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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.
14 comments:
Is it just me, or are all these cats declawed?
Bjorn
Bjorn,
Very observant. I started to post something to that affect, but then canceled it, and decided to see who would notice it. Most of them are, and that is a common practice in a majority of Mexican circus's, where the animals are often worked by many different people. I saw a circus in Mexico a few years ago, one of the larger ones, and they changed the trainer 3 times in 2 weeks, plus the owner of the show presented the cat's for the night show's, if they were full houses. You have never seen a more subservient, unhappy, resigned group of animals in your life. Non existent in American and Europe, but occurring frequently also in China.
Wade
Did you see the other Youtube clips of Nikatta working a liberty act - it looks a lot like the horses that John Herriot trained for Nellie. Is that where they ended up?
Anonymous,
Gosh, just because Nellie had gray Arabs, so has 150 years of the circus. They are the most common color and bred used, especially in the last 20 years or so.
I looked at the tape which was short and wasn't very good(a lot of people in the ring with an obvious old group of horses.) I would say that they might be Dick Gardens old group of greys.
Wade
True, but there are not as many acts that have a hind leg walker that goes the full circumferance of the ring
Who holds the record for posting the most videos of themselves on you tube Mickitta or 123 watch and learn?
Anonymous nitwit,
True what? Send me the clip you are talking about, and I will tell you whether it is a good one or not. I must have looked at a different one. I didn't see a hind leg walk.
Wade
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tbz2SOE2XgI
Also, the harness was the same as Nellie's (same hip drops, except Nellie's were red and these are black)
Maybe John can pop in and confirm whether the hind leg horse was called Sheik
Anonymous nitwit #1,
Folks, if you can't figure out how to sign in with your name, it is at least acceptable to sign your name at the end of your comment.
I would think 123 watch and learn has posted more clips then Nickitta, but that record may be eclipsed by Show Me a couple of months into the season.
Anonymous nitwit #2,
The noted harness with hip drops is a common cheap type, made by a harness maker in Mexico, out of colored patent leather. One of the first sets was made for Ian Gardens Welsh act, that John Herriott trained in 1993-94. Functional and "pretty", but as differently crafted from a handmade Krone set of harness, as a pair of handmade ostrich boot's is more beautifully crafted then a pair of off the shelf Tony Lama's, or a handmade Vogt bit, as opposed to an off the shelf Weaver.
Wade Burck
Anonymous nitwit, which ever,
Anonymous said...
True, but there are not as many acts that have a hind leg walker that goes the full circumferance of the ring
As I suspected your enthusiasm for hanging Nellie paper, made you over react. "Full circumference of the ring" would be from where the animal entered, back to the same spot. This boy just got past the half way point. Half way is where they start rushing, to get with their herd mates, causing them to unbalance and come down. Thank you for the clip, it was well worth another look at the blond filly's croup, gaskin, and loin. Coupled just real nice.
Wade Burck
Wade,
but why would they declaw them?. My humble opinion is it wont make em anny less dangerous to work with.
Bjorn
Possibly
Bjorn,
Declawing very much "psychologically" changes their demeanor. It is a reason why many domestic cattle breeds are polled or dehorned. A may bite you if you are petting it, but the majority of all bites occur when a person, animal or object is grabbed with the claws and pulled to the mouth. Consider an impala or deer that is jumped on by a tiger or lion. It is the claws that make the first "grab" and then "hold" the prey/adversary while it bites. As a rule Cheetah and a canine with non retractable claws pursues it's quarry over a great distance, tiring it to the point of exhaustion where only teeth are required to dispatch it. Feline hunt in short fast bursts, grab with the claws, and hold, suffocating its prey.
I worked with on declawed animal in my life, who was declawed before I got him. He lived by himself as the other tigers would hurt him with their claws, and he was noticeably intimidated when he was in the arena with them. I mentioned earlier that I saw a large tiger act in Mexico a couple of years ago, 20 animals, and they were all declawed, something I had never been witness to. There were the "noisiest" tigers I had ever heard, during performing and before. They were all turned into the arena before the act, and I was amazed to see the animals, stand nose to nose and roar at each other and not lift their feet to "swat" at each other. They knew after a lifetime that it was useless, and so just screamed and roared at each other and walked away. Polled or dehorned bulls with fight, but they can only butt heads, and not do much damage without their horns. The ever learn to fight "differently" with out the horns, and don't waste their time "slashing" at their opponent.
Wade
Wade
Wade,
now I just learned somthing from you lol, anyway I had no idea that declawing a tiger or any other big cat, can have such a physcologic impact on the behavior of the animal.
Bjorn
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