Vintage

People have different reactions when they hear about or see diving horses. Some think, “That’s so cool, I wish I could do that!” Some immediately feel sorry for the horse and assume that horrible things were done to it to train it to dive. Others aren’t quite sure what to think.

Diving horses is an event that started in the 1880’s. William “Doc” Carver, a Buffalo Bill “sidekick,” supposedly got the idea for the show when a horse he was riding had to plunge from a bridge into a river. This gave him the idea for a stunt to add to his traveling show. The first rider was his own daughter, Lorena, who jumped on Doc’s horse, Silver King. The act was part of The Great Carver Show. They had many riders, mostly young women.

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