Vintage Antwerp Zoo Elephant Ride

Date unknown. Note two handlers with the elephant, and both are using short handled hooks. Lou Regan the first trainer I worked for in the circus called those "loading hooks", and said they were used in tight confines like a truck or railroad car when loading the elephants, claiming they had a two fold purpose. One, easier to use in small spaces, and two, theoretically when going between an elephant and the wall, if the animal stepped sideways and "leaned" on you, you could put the handle end against the wall and they would not lean on the prod on the end. He made me one out of an 8 inch screw driver with a rake tine hook welded on it. Lou said a cane hook was used on the lot when setting up or tearing down the tent/top. The handle hook end could be hung on your forearm giving you both hands free to work the chains, without laying your hook down. The long herd hook was used back in the day, if you were on a show and working one of the rings. Waiting to go in, you could control somebody's herd next to yours if they were called away for a moment. The lockhart lash hook was used if working a group (5 or more) of elephants allowing you to reach from a distance, or when free lunging them in an open field. That's what I was told anyway.