Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Franz Tubka with Court's tigers

12 comments:

Wade G. Burck said...

Steve,
Here is another example of "blocking". You will note that the animals are between pedestals. They can't run to the seats behind Trubka as he will stop them. Being right handed if they run to the seats on the opposite side, he can step behind and chase them back into the lay down.
Wade

Casey McCoy Cainan said...

Oh yes,
The ever overrated oblique. I have been told by several trainers how impressive a certain french trainers act was because it had a lay down like this one. I think this picture shows it all. Wouldn't it be more difficult to train the cats to look straight ahead and trust him back there, then to be looking over their shoulders? How hard is it to get an animal to be looking over it's shoulder? Don't all cats in a "drive and block" act look like that? Is an oblique training, or just response to pressure from the side?

Wade G. Burck said...

CMC,
How have you become so smart? You better knock it off, or people are going to assume you might know a little bit about what you are doing.
Wade

Casey McCoy Cainan said...

Add to all that the fact it makes for an ugly picture, and I can't see why anyone would intentionally do this in an act.

Wade G. Burck said...

CMC,
It can be done nice, if it is in a straight line, with just the heads turned, and not in a curve. But that is harder.
Wade

Anonymous said...

Funny thing the "oblique" - I used to do it with a 4 pony Welsh Pony liberty act some years ago just to make the act a bit longer. Didn't take any training but country people [who should have known a bit better] just loved it.

Anonymous said...

To Steve. Guess you know something I don't. I have trained the Oblique with horses and ponies infrquently over the years and never had any of them just do it. Took training time to get them in correct position and heads were over withers and they held the position long enough to be effective and most especially that the front horse did not just walk away. Also there is a "cue" t5hat suggests the routine to the equine.

Anonymous said...

The fork and blocking are rare here in USA.I recall Eloise had a clear plastic in front of that wild assed horned goat or sheep she had and believe she did use a fork, but cannot recall any others, but I assume there were some.

Casey McCoy Cainan said...

I think the oblique with horses and elephants is a lot more of a "trick" then in cats laying down. Elephants especially since it involves throwing their trunks over the other and raising a foot, not just reacting to a person standing behind them. I assume (I have never tried it) with a horse applying any pressure from behind they will move on rather then look to the side.

Wade G. Burck said...

Casey,
What!!! You don't stand behind them to make them oblique. Horse, elephants, or cats. With cat's you have a biting problem to work out.
Wade

Wade G. Burck said...

Johnny,
Does that "cue" have anything to do with the withers?
Wade

Casey McCoy Cainan said...

I meant along side, but was picturing this picture in my head.