Leadership and animal training - the Dictator

October 26, 7:10 PMClicker Training ExaminerEve Alexander

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Part 2 of the Leadership and Animal Training series

Sadistic dictators force animals to perform unnatural behaviors.

A dictator leader is a very cruel, sadistic person who uses pain and fear to control others. One cannot in good conscience call someone like this a trainer, and yet there are animal trainers who follow this model.

An excellent example of a dictator leader is Jimmy McConnell, violator of Horse Protection Act laws who was recently rewarded in the show ring by the Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration judges. Grand Champion, Watch It Now, expresses obvious fear and pain in his eyes and posture (at right).

Russian horseman, Alexander Nevzorov describes the cruel training of circus horses.

Do you know how they set a horse on pesade in the circus? You know, on rear. It’s very simple. They take a horse. They attach a long rope to the “iron” in its mouth. On the right or the left side of the bit – it doesn’t matter which.

The cable is raised into the darkness high up under the big top and passed over a pulley. The same pulley they use for safeguarding the trapeze artists. The end of the rope that has been passed over the pulley is lowered back into the ring, in front of the horse or behind it. Three or four of the more hefty circus men grab hold of the rope, all wearing mittens in order not to burn their hands.

The trainer smacks his lips, cracks his lunging whip - and the three men in mittens tug down hard on the cable, jerking up the horse towards the pulley high in the big top by the bit in its mouth until it is raised absolutely vertical.

Two men beat the horse from behind as a preventive measure to make sure that it doesn’t stagger or tumble over backwards. The trainer beats the horse from the front to make sure it won’t try to lower itself back down. During this exercise the horse’s mouth is usually torn until it bleeds.

The horse’s strong, powerful lips cannot withstand the sudden jerk, and its bloody eyes pop out of their sockets. The trainer usually jokes afterwards (with a laugh): “Put its eyes back in”.

These words are not spoken to anyone in particular, not to his assistant or the horse-holder. They are, rather, addressed to a god, the powerless god of horses, who sees everything and is already waiting for this circus horse’s soul. Oh yes, I forgot: when it’s all over, they thrust a carrot sliced into rings into the torn mouth of the trembling, sweat-soaked horse.

The bloodstained carrot immediately drops out and goes tumbling across the surface of the arena. May you see this scene before your eyes the next time you take your nephew to the circus!

Compare this horrific example of cruel training with horse trainer Sue De Laurentis and the positive reinforcement techniques she used when training Sheryl Crow’s magnificent Tennessee Walking Horse, Lady C to rear.

Gypsy was 'trained' by Michael Vick.

Dictator leaders are the trainers who cause animals to perform unnatural acts, such as the Big Lick displayed in the photo of Jimmy McConnell (above right), dog fighting, elephants doing handstands, bears balancing on balls, tigers jumping through hoops of fire, etc. Most of the time, these unfortunate animals have been declawed, detoothed, blinded and otherwise incapacitated and stripped of their natural defenses.

Certainly you will reject this model. It not only demeans the animal, but it demeans the human as well.

This type of trainer is found in the circus, on greyhound and thoroughbred racetracks, and in the rodeo. Anywhere animals are exploited for profit you'll find these devils.

Please, don't spend your hard-earned money on this type of entertainment. Support the efforts of PETA and HSUS to eradicate animal abuse. If we stop giving the abusers our money, we can put them out of business once and for all!

Learn about the Autocratic or Authoritative Leader next.

More articles:

• Mr. Biggs - Tennessee Walking Horse's life ruined by abusive training
• Spotlight on abusive horse training. Let's put an end to it now!
• Training chains of behaviors in horses

The copyright of this article is owned by Eve Alexander. Permission to republish in print or online must be granted by Eve Alexander in writing.

 Photo credits: Jimmy McConnell - Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration; Gypsy - PETA