Professor Roberts and his Marvellous Horse Training Dummy
No doubt most of us have either heard of, or come across, horses that simply refuse to be ridden without bucking and otherwise making things difficult. Enter the crash test dummy !
The dummy is strapped on and the horse is made to work away with the contraption aboard; after it has bucked and run itself into the ground the horse will give up all resistance.
The assumption clearly is that, since the horse obviously can't tell the difference between an artificial and a human 'dummy' it will be marvellously cured of its vices, and go off to take its place among the law-abiding members of equestrian society.
Just like with Professor Sample, this should elicit gales of laughter. And yet it doesn't, even though this has to be one of the most preposterous methods to be used in a public display for a very long time.
Instead of the ridicule such a method should attract, crowded arenas avidly watch the Maestro and the Dummy in the hope of taking away with them the essence of this lesson..
