Lucille and Her Horse Governor

“My system of training consists of three things—patience, perseverance, and gentleness. Gentleness I consider one of the greatest factors in successful training . . . . Governor, the horse I ride in our exhibitions, was raised and trained on our ranch. He has nearly forty tricks (as we call them), and is capable of learning many more. He can shoot a gun; pull off a man's coat and put it on again; can roll a barrel; can walk up stairs and down again—a difficult feat; is perfect in the march and the Spanish trot; extends the forelegs so that an easy mount may be made; kneels, lies down, and sits up; indeed, he has received a good education, and does nearly everything but talk. He often utters sounds that would seem to indicate his desire to talk. “Grunts of satisfaction,” we call the sounds!”

--Lucille Mulhall from Wild Women of the Old West, Golden: Fulcrum Publishing 2003 by Glenda Riley