64 Hu7iting in the Golden Days. 



" He was then tried at one or two low fences, which he 

 would not, however, have at any price. Finding that it 

 was impossible to make him jump by whipping and spur- 

 ring, a team-horse from the farm was sent for and a strong 

 headstall was put on Ginger. The chain-horse was put 

 the other side of the fence and the traces attached to the 

 chestnut's headstall ; he was then dragged through or 

 over the jump two or three times, much to his dismay and 

 surprise, but no doubt the pricks he got from the gorse 

 and the falls in the ditch the other side decided him that 

 it was less trouble to jump his fences than to be pulled 

 through them ; any way, they got him to jump well 

 at last, and if any signs of refusing showed themselves, 

 all they had to do was to produce the chain-horse and it 

 was wonderful what an effect it had. But still for some 

 time after this Ginger was a horse that wanted riding, 

 and the Calmer would bet many of his friends ^10 to 

 ^5 that after a week in the stable they would not sit 

 Ginger for fifteen minutes without a cropper. Two 

 and a half to three minutes, after a trial, generally 

 made the Calmer a richer man by ^5. After a time, 

 however. Ginger did seem to become more tractable, 

 for they got him to go in harness. He certainly hated 

 the look of a hill, and when first put in jibbed. But 

 the Calmer was all patience, at first, at any rate. He 

 would quickly dismount and thrust a handful of road- 

 mud into the animal's mouth, in order, as he said, ' to 

 change the thoughts of the horse.' Then he would 

 mount and try to drive him up the hill, but to 

 no purpose. There was, however, another string 

 left to the Calmer's bow, and that was the use of 

 his jingler, which he carried with him at the bottom of 

 his cart. [This was a cruel contrivance, used years ago 

 before the Societyfor thePrevention of Cruelty to Animals 



