Kludsky/Amar Elephant Herd

One man with a whip(Lockhart) and one man with a shovel is all I have found to be necessary for 8 elephants.

Of the 8 elephants pictured above in 2006, 4 of them have died in 5 years since leaving Hawthorn.


A few day's ago I posted the picture below of a male elephant named Charly one of a group of 16 on Circus Amar. Bjorn Krebbers commented that the herd was originally owned by Circus Kludsky and was sold to Amar. Bjorn was good enough to send the picture above with the note, "Here is the picture I was talking about of the 16 Kludsky elephants. I think Charly is the fourth elephant on the right side of the picture." I have pointed out the virtues and usefulness of of a lash whip for controlling a large group of animal in the past, and I want you to notice "16 elephants, male and female, and one man" in the photo above; as you count bull hooks in the Bobster picture below, final tally being "one female elephant and two men and one women!!!!!"

I believe European Axel Gautier was the last person to use a whip in the ring or stable in America. In the early day's of the "movement" whips were their focus, it's what made them really gag. So folks quit using whips, a new generation never developed a skill with one, and they went back to the ancient form of control, the ankus or bull hook with a shorter prod as there would be no need for killing the animal instantly, and a smaller hook as it looked better and less ominous, but it had to be made more pointed as it was less effective then a larger hook. Europe has traditionally had less of a problem with a whip for controlling elephants given your longer reach even today, and American's with larger herds tended to depend on the "herd hook". Folks don't use a herd hook today, I'm assuming because it is harder to stick up your ass should you need to alibi with the response, "I don't use a hook." I also think Europe has fewer "animal experts" telling them how to do what it is they do which is why a whip is still acceptable. It is generally accepted that a horse is "thin skinned" and an elephant is "thick skinned", making a lunge whip acceptable for horses, but not elephants!!!!!! Explain that "expert" deduction to me?

Funny thing also; I have been to and competed in literally 100's of breed horse show's over the years, and I haven't seen one, not one "ar protest", or television show with an "ar expert" telling folks in the cutting, reining, dressage industry how it is done, and every one of those people at the horse show lunge their horses with whips and wear spurs. In fact spurs are a required piece of equipment, such as a hat, chaps or boots when you are competing!!!! They probably have less problems or "incidences" because there are not a million "experts" telling them how to do it. Do you suppose. My industry has even taken to presenting liberty horse's "free" and occasionally with no whip or a smaller dressage whip in a phony pretense of being more skill and loving their horses more. If you want to really impress me, work them in a uncontrolled environment, let's say turn them loose in the parking lot. If you want to really dumb found me, turn them loose in the stable, no halters or ropes and walk them single file to the performance area by your self. But remember, like the elephant trainers, you can's touch them. If you would like even put one man/women with each horse, but again, don't touch them or put a rope or halter on them. Even rules across the board, the same one's mandated by the "ar experts"

Equally counterfeit, and amazingly the public is impressed by it, which really indicates how little they really know about animal behavior is the "bridleless exhibitions", although not as popular as they were a few years ago, as the horse industry is made up of a lot more real experts, then the spectators sitting in the seats at circus, Cavallia or clinic, etc. etc. type show. If you want to really impress me, work them in an uncontrolled environment, let's say the parking lot, or better yet, out on a thousand acres. Don't ride your horse up to the arena gate, then remove his "cruel, nasty bridle" which is put back on when you are finished with your pretend bonding demo. And please don't use a neck rope, because he is trained to neck rein. If you really want to dumb found me, unload your horse at the staging area of the Rose Bowl Parade, and have him stand patiently by the trailer, same rules as for the elephant guy's, no halter or rope to secure him, or if you must put up a big hot wire web fence for him to have freedom in, but you still can't touch him with any thing other then your hand. Now saddle him up, and ride him "bridleless" as you bond in the Rose Bowl Parade from start to finish. Now I am going to let you use the bull hooks/spurs that you have on, and as you are riding the horse with a bull hook/spur controlling his left and right movements with your legs it should be a lot easier for you, then for the elephant men walking their elephants, controlling only the left movement, plus the elephant men aren't allowed to use their bull hook/spurs as you are. They in fact can't even touch their animal as elephants, apparently as the "ar experts" have led us to believe, are super intelligent and just know what to do, and how to act if they are only given the chance.