The Hanneford family has
been traditionally associated with horses and amazing acrobatic equestrian
feats. Their unparalleled skills in horsemanship has propelled several
family members into circus stardom over the years, in particular the greatest
comedy bare- back rider of all time, Poodles Hanneford. When, however,
they have run their own show they have worked with many different animals,
including elephants, tigers, lions, and dogs.
Many
people feel that to train an animal you have to be cruel and unfeeling.
This, however, is not true. Like people, animals respond best to kindness
and affection. Every animal, also like people, is different and possess
differing natural skills. It is the trainers job to find those skills and
develop them. If you own, or have owned, a dog or cat you will have seen
this yourself. Certain breeds of dog, poodles for example, naturally walk
on their hind legs without prompting. Hold up a treat and the dog will
stand up on its two back legs and start to walk toward you - letting you
know he wants the treat. If you make it a game and show the animal you
are pleased and excited that it did good, make a fuss of him and reward
him, then the animal will learn quickly and will soon do its trick when
you ask it. More intelligent animals can learn whole routines of many tricks.
For an animal in the circus, showtime becomes playtime.
In this section you will learn
about our elephants, horses, tigers, and Boo Boo our magic dog.
IN THE HANNEFORD CIRCUS THE ANIMALS ARE OUR
STARS
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