A diving horse is an attraction that was popular in the mid 1880s, in which a horse would dive into a pool of water, sometimes from as high as 60 feet up. William 'Doc" Carver, 'invented' the idea of horse diving exhibitions. Allegedly, in 1881 Carver was crossing a bridge over Platte River (Nebraska) which partially collapsed. His horse fell/dove into the waters below, inspiring Carver to develop the diving horse act.
Carver trained various animals and went on tour. His son, Al Carver constructed the ramp and tower and his daughter Lorena Carver was the first rider. The show became a permanent fixture at Atlantic City's very popular venue, Steel Pier.
The shows received very strong criticisms of animal rights abuses, which contributed to the decline of its popularity after WW2. The horses sometimes dived four times a day, seven days a week. There are allegations of using prods, electrical jolts, and trap doors to get unwilling horses to dive.
(via Neatorama)
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