Why did anyone ever think that this was a good idea?
Horse diving was a controversial and dangerous spectacle in which a horse and rider would dive off a high platform into a deep pool of water.
Horse diving is believed to have originated in the late 19th century, and is credited to William "Doc" Carver, a showman and former sharpshooter who performed in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. The story goes that Carver got the idea when his horse accidentally fell off a bridge into a river. Seeing the spectacle, he envisioned it as a thrilling stunt that could be turned into a public attraction. [Ed: This wouldn’t have been my first thought.]
By the early 1900s, Carver had developed a formal act in which a horse and rider would jump off a high platform – often between 10 and 20 metres – into a pool of water. His son, Al Floyd Carver, ran with the act and helped establish it at Atlantic City’s Steel Pier, where it became a long-running attraction.
One of the most famous horse divers was Sonora Webster Carver, who, responding to a newspaper ad, joined the show in 1924 and became its star. (She later married Al Floyd Carver.) Sonora continued to dive even after she suffered a tragic accident in 1931 when a dive with her horse Red Lips went wrong, and she hit the water face-first, detaching both retinas and causing permanent blindness. Despite this, she continued performing for several more years. [Ed: Brave or insane?] Her life story was adapted into the 1991 Disney movie Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken, based on her memoir A Girl and Five Brave Horses.
As awareness of animal welfare grew, public sentiment began to turn against the sport. By the 1970s, most horse diving acts had disappeared. While defenders claimed the horses were trained and unhurt, critics argued it was inhumane.
By the late 20th century, most horse diving acts had been shut down. Today, it's largely remembered as a bizarre and reckless part of entertainment history.
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References
wikipedia.org/wiki/Diving_horse
Images
1. Horse Diving. Really?
2. The Diving Horse at Hanlan's Point
3. Poster promoting Dr W.F. Carver as the Champion Rifle Shot of the World, 1880
4. The Great Carver Show poster
5. Steel Pier Diving Horse
6. Sonora Webster Carver
7. Video: "Diving Horses: A Wild Attraction for the Daring Rider" British Pathé, 1923
