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BREAKING HORSE FOR THE “CIRCLE.”

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The exact date at which horses were introduced upon the stage we are unable to state. It is the custom with many writers to trace everything back to the ancient Greeks or Romans and build up their subject from this classic foundation; perhaps we might be able to do likewise were we to try, but we prefer to be excused. Certain it is that for many years such dramas as Mazeppa, Herne the Hunter, Putnam, and others of a certain kind have maintained a steady popularity. At first the characters of the heroes in these pieces were performed by males, and their popularity depended upon the beauty and spirit of the horse, the daring of the rider, and the general excellence of the drama—combats, processions, and startling effects being always taking ingredients. By-and-by, however, an adventurous rider of the other sex entered the lists in competition with the gentlemen. Her success inspired others to follow her example, until a dozen or more actresses were found performing the various rôles of the “horse drama.”