If you’ve never heard of diving horses, you’re not alone. This strange and forgotten game was a popular attraction in the United States for six decades, from the end of the 19th century to the end of the 2nd century. world war .

As the horse dove, a woman in a bathing suit jumped her horse off a platform into a pool of water. This platform can reach a height of 18.3 meters, almost double the highest Olympic springboard (32 feet or 10 meters).

The most famous show jumping took place on a steel pier in Atlantic City . “Diving Girl” in a death-defying stunt show has regularly drawn large crowds to the venue. Eventually, horse diving was deemed a cruel and dangerous sport and was abandoned forever due to public outcry.

Warning: some photos and videos contain depictions of horse abuse.

Below we explore the history of horseback diving and answer the most frequently asked questions about the sport:

Is horse riding cruelty?

Most people consider diving with horses to be cruel to animals. Throughout its history, many believed that trainers used speed bumps, boundary barriers and electric shocks to force reluctant horses into a dive.

Objectively speaking, diving is not a given for most horses. That’s not why they evolved, horses are strictly wild animals. Therefore, one could say that training horses to dive is against their nature and totally unethical.

He adds to the argument that in high season many professional diving horses had to dive four times a day, seven days a week. There have been allegations that the horses were sent to slaughter after their quarry. On the other hand, famous trainers and divers have said that their horses are very nice and very funny.

The origins of horseback diving

Now you might be wondering: where did this strange sport come from? According to Wikipedia, “Dr.” William Frank Carver had the idea of ​​diving with horses in 1881.

Carver was allegedly driving over a bridge over the Platte River in Nebraska when the bridge partially collapsed. His horse had no choice but to plunge into the river below. So he wondered if horses could be taught to dive.

William Frank Carver was a skilled sniper who made a living traveling the Wild West hosting shooting events and animal shows. After the bridge incident, he hosted the first equestrian dive show in Texas. In 1923 he had two diving teams touring the country.

His son Al Floyd Carver built the first diving ramp and his daughter Lorena Carver was the first girl to dive. And the most famous diver in history, Sonora Webster, joined the team in 1924.

William Frank Carver died of illness in 1927, shortly after his favorite horse drowned. His Diving Girls crew continued the show long after his death.

Horses dive in Atlantic City

Diving horses first became an attraction at Steel Pier in Atlantic City in 1928. Believe it or not, the show was replaced by the Loud Show. The appearance of a moose diving into a pool of water near Million Dollar Wharf, historical Vicki Gold-Levy .

In fact, animals performing antics were already a well-established attraction on the sidewalks of Atlantic City attractions, explains The Philadelphia Inquirer. Huge crowds gather to watch surfer dog Rex, boxer animals, dancing bears, elephants on bicycles and cats on a tightrope.

However, the dive horses surpassed them all and almost became a legendary sight. Under the cheers of the enthusiastic crowd, they jump from a height of 12.2 to 18.3 meters. Famous horses on the high trampoline are Kaltawa, Patches, Lightning and Lipstick.

Here is a video of horses diving into Steel Pier (warning: scenes of animal abuse):

Is horse diving bad for horses?

Opinions differ as to whether diving actually harms horses. Animal welfare organizations like PETA say the dive horses suffered internal organ damage, broken bones, bruises and injuries to the legs, spine and other areas. However, there is no record of a prancing horse injured while jumping.

While People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals ( PETA ) wildly claims that diving horses were injured, the history books do not mention any incident where horses were ever injured. Gold Levy, author of Atlantic City: 125 Years of Ocean Madness, agrees. He said that every year two divers are injured while scuba diving, including bruises, broken bones and even death.

Gold Levi was also close friends with Sonora Carver’s sister, Arnette Webster French, who was also a diver. And the author concluded from his sports lecture:

It was never questioned whether anyone involved in the crime liked these horses. . . . They were like their own children. I remember her [Arnette] if a horse doesn’t like to dive it means it hasn’t been trained to do it. You never had to jump.”

Opponents of horse diving say the damage done to horses could not be proven with the veterinary technology available at the time. With our modern perception, we can therefore assume that diving with horses caused physical and psychological harm to the animals.

When did you stop high diving with horses?

Over time, the number of activists opposed to horse diving grew. PETA and its supporters have been among the most vocal in calling for an end to this horrifying spectacle.

The Pier of Steel in Atlantic City discontinued high jump horses in 1978 due to low demand and pressure from animal rights activists. Attempts to revive the law were made in 1993 and 2012, but failed due to public backlash.

In 2012, plans to reintroduce horseback diving caused outrage among locals and the general public. The plan was to build an amphitheater with a 12-foot pool and charge people $10 to see the waterfall. Steel Pier chairman Anthony Catanoso said he saw no threat to the horses. (Source: bailingoutbenji.com)

The announcement sparked construction protests and a petition to cancel the show, which garnered 50,000 signatures. Wayne Basil, president of the Humane Society of the United States, called the offer “an absolutely stupid idea”. “Horseback diving has the power to terrify, injure and kill horses, and it rightfully belongs in the Atlantic City history books,” he said.

Is horseback riding legal?

Surprisingly, horseback diving is not illegal in the United States. The reason the law was stopped was the lack of enforcement and enforcement of other laws by animal welfare organizations.

Until recently, the Magic Forest amusement park near Lake George in New York hosted the last underwater horse show in the United States. The show has been around since 1977, when a horse named Rex learned to jump off a 10-foot platform without a rider.

When Rex retired, his son Lightning followed in his footsteps. There are also records of a mare named Thunder Diving in the park.

“There is no plank, no pestle, no electric shock, no trap door,” said the director of the Enchanted Forest. ^[7] The horse jumps twice a day for two months and spends the rest of the year free range . ‘ We reward him with a bucket of oats after his daily jump and if he doesn’t want it he won’t,’ she told the Daily Mail.

Do horses really sink into wild hearts that can’t be broken?

Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken (1991) American drama starring Sonora Webster, the famous underwater girl. Set during the Great Depression, the film chronicles how Sonora got into diving, her struggles and injuries, and how she continued to dive despite being blind.

Horses have already appeared in Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken. The production said they are fully committed to animal safety and only select horses that love water. The horses were gradually trained and would not dive more than 3 feet.

The production of Unbreakable Hearts was overseen by the Humane Society of America , a nonprofit organization dedicated to animal safety, welfare, and welfare. According to their website, the association was initially opposed to the idea of ​​putting horses in movies until they saw the company’s commitment to the welfare of its horses.

A total of six horses are depicted in the film, four of which are trained by Corky Randall to dive. The 12-meter high jump seen in the film was created with “a lot of Hollywood magic”. The American Humane Organization reported that the horses jumped into the tank alone when the group was left unattended!

Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken Based on a true story?

Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken is based on the true story of Sonora Webster, the most famous underwater girl. The film’s script uses elements from her memoir, A Girl and Five Brave Horses.

Sonora Webster was only 15 when she first dived and joined Doc Carver’s team when she was 20. She later fell in love with Carver’s son, Al Floyd, and married him.

Unfortunately, in 1932, the Sonoran horse Red Lips lost his balance and hit the water with his eyes open. This incident left her permanently blind due to retinal detachment. Against all odds, he continued to dive for 11 years until he was 38.

Sonora’s sister, Arnette, also commented : “The whole movie was about finding the courage to keep going uphill after losing her sight. But the truth is, driving was the most fun because I didn’t want to give up . on the horse, there wasn’t much left to do but persevere. The horse was responsible.

In her memoir, Sonora talks about the thrill of riding a diving horse. “I felt his muscles tighten as his body bounced, and then I felt a whole new sensation. It was a wild, almost pristine sensation that only comes with completely free contact with the ground. Then I saw the water coming towards me and a moment later we were in the bathtub”.