I have had numerous debates/discussion's with famed American horse trainer John Herriott on the validity of a horse pyramid/carousel ever actually occurring in the circus. They are always depicted on old lithographs as being a 4/5 tiered "wedding cake" type of formation. I have always thought that was impossible not to have the horse's step/fall off the sides and was only an artist's "interpretation" to elevate the animals so as to give the public an idea of how many were in the ring. I believe the rider/trainer was elevated in the middle and nothing more then animals going around in different directions, in the fashion of the brief shot in the clip below at .25 to .28:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2zzaz-93dg&feature=feedlik
The post card above is the only "photograph" I have ever seen of the supposed horse pyramid/carousel and not a drawing done by an artist for a lithograph. If you enlarge it, you will see that even it has been doctored/altered given the disproportionately large horse's up close to to elevate, mounted trainer. I really don't think it happened the way the litho artist's wanted us to believe it did. I believe it was closer to what we see in the clip without the 4/5 tiered "wedding cake" in the middle. Not to take anything away from having a pot load of animals in the ring, I just don't think it happened. Which gives me an opportunity to post once again this remarkable video of the famed Swiss horse trainer Fredy Knie Jr. I for one, never grow tired of looking at it:
Monday, August 8, 2011
Animal Training "Urban Legend"
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
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5 comments:
Can you provide a list of the acts purported to be of the tiered, rotational type, O'Brien, Cristiansen, etc.? That will facilitate some research.
The clinching photograph would be one that documents the tiered apparatus in a ring, sans horses and trainer, or the lack of any elevated walking places.
A quick place to look is Fox's book Performing Horses. You might also look in old Bandwagon articles about the above named men, also coverage of the 1910-1911Forepaugh-Sells show, which had one of those posters that you mentioned.
Wade,
You know I'm with you on the Knie video!
I hope you're doing well,
Chris
Anonymous,
We will have to wait for John Milton, so some other historian for a list. I have never seen a photograph of the supposed event. This postcard is the closest to a photo I have found or seen, but as I said it has been altered. There is what looks to be a partial stage/tier in the middle of the picture, but it look's like it was added to the picture as the horse's are so out of proportion. Note the horse's on the bottom which appear to be "standing" on the ring curb as well as a group of 4 on the left standing abreast instead of one behind the other. It almost looks like all the horse's were added after the photo was taken from various sources.
O'Brien is the only one I have ever seen depicted. I have an old 18" X 24" woodcut purporting to be O'Brien and the 70 horse carousel. All the horses in the front are going around on the ring curb, and are dappled ponies not horses. After seeing this photo/postcard from 1900, I wondered if the woodcut from the late 1800 was an inspiration for the photo/postcard.
Wade
I have been away too long and forgot the stunning video you post on this site. Loved seeing it again.
Madame Col.
Being away, and working your tail off, are two different things. Thing's work out, I may be seeing how Gypsy Vanner's take to being mounted by a tiger.
Wade
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