100 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 2. 



Mr. Castley gives two singular and conclusive 

 instances of the truth of this doctrine. 'When a 

 very young man,' says he, 'I remember purchas- 

 ing a horse at a fair in the north of England, that 

 was offered very cheap on account of his being 

 unmanageable. It was said that nobody could 

 ride him. We found that, the animal objected to 

 have any thing placed upon his back, and that, 

 when made to move forward with nothing more 

 than a saddle on, he instantly threw himself down 

 on his side with great violence, and would then 

 endeavor to roll upon his back. 



'There was at that time in Yorkshire, a (anions 

 colt-breaker, known by the name, of Jumper,* 

 who was almost a sd in that country for 



taming vicious horses into submission, as the 

 famed Whisperer was in Ireland. We put this 

 animal into Jumper's hands, who took him away, 

 and in about ten days brought him home again, 

 certainly not looking worse in condition, but per- 

 fectly subdued and almost as obedient as a dog: 

 for he would lie down at this man's bidding, and 

 only rise again at his command, and carry double 

 or any thing. I took to riding him myself \ and 

 may say, that I was never better carried for six or 

 eight months, during which time he never showed 

 the least vice whatever. 1 then sold him to a 

 Lincolnshire, farmer, who said that he would give 

 him a summer's run at grass, and show him a 

 very line horse at the great Horncastle fair. 



'Happening to meet this gentleman the follow- 

 ingyear, I naturally enough inquired after my old 

 friend. rt OhP' said he s a bad business 



— the horse turned out a sad rebel. The first 

 time we attempted to mount him, after getting 

 him up from grass, he in an instant threw the man 

 down with the greatest violence, pitching him 

 several yards over his head; and alter that he 

 threw every one that attempted to get on his back. 

 If he could not throw his rider, he would throw 

 himself down. We could do nothing with him, 

 and I was obliged at last to sell him to go in a 

 stage-coach." ' 



* Those of our renders who were connected with 

 the contested elections for Yorkshire, will recollect 

 J tamper, covered with orange plush from top to toe, and 

 scampering in every direction over the country. 

 Sometimes he would exchange thisfora bear-skin, en- 

 veloped in which, and mounted occasionally on a buf- 

 falo, he was a most formidable object. He had extra- 

 ordinary power over animals of various species, for he 

 lamed to the saddle a buffalo for Mr. Tempest, and a 

 pair of rein-deer for harness for Lord Fitzwilliam. 

 But his charm consisted chiefly in fearlessness, and 

 brute force, accompanied by considerable tact. He 

 would generally try rough measures first; and in his 

 perilous encounters with some of his troublesome 

 scholars, had nearly every bone in Tiis body fractured. 

 Sullivan's method was altogether different — force was 

 rarely resorted to. The enemy surrendered to him at 

 discretion and without a struggle. Jumper, however, 

 I to have some charm about him, for when he 

 had, by dint of punishment, striven in vain to conquer 

 an 'unruly horse in the market-place of Wakefield — he 

 alighted — stood on the near side of the horse — brought 

 the animal's head almosl back to his off shoulder by 

 forcibly pulling at the off rein, and then sternly gazed 

 at him over the withers for twoorthree minutes. The 

 animal began to tremble, and broke out into a profuse 

 perspiration. Jumper then loosened his hold of the 

 rein, and patted and caressed the horse, who immedi- 

 ately followed him round the market-place perfectly 

 tamed. 



In the next story, Jumper's counterpart and 

 superior, the Irish Whisperer, is brought on the 

 stage, and, although he performs wonders, he 

 cannot radically cure a restifl" horse. 'At the 

 Spring Meeting of 1804, Mr. Whalley's King 

 Pippin was brought on the Curragh of Kildarc to 

 run. He was a horse of the most extraordinary 

 savage and vicious disposition. His particular 

 propensity was that of flying at and worrying any 

 person who came within his reach, and if he had 

 an opportunity, he would get Ins head round, 

 seize Ids rider by the leg with his teeth, and drag 

 him down from his back. For this reason he was. 

 always ridden in what is called a sword; which is 

 nothing more than a strong tint stick, having one 

 end attached to the cheek of the bridle, and the 

 other to the girth of the. saddle, a contrivance to 

 prevent a horse of this kind from getting at his 

 rider. 



'King Pippin had long been difficult to manage 

 and dangerous to go near, but on the occasion in 

 question he could not be got out to run at all. 

 Nobody could put the bridle upon his head. It be- 

 ing Easter Monday, and consequently a great 

 holyday, there was a large concourse of people 

 assembled at the Curragh, consisting principally 

 of the neighboring peasantry; and one country- 

 man, more fearless than the rest of the lookers-on, 

 forgetting, or perhaps never dreaming that, the 

 better part of courage is discretion, volunteered 

 his services to bridle the horse. No sooner had he 

 committed himself in this operation, than King 

 Pippin seized him somewhere about the shoulders 

 or chest, and says Mr. Watls (Mr. Castley's in- 

 formant,) "I know of nothingl can compare it to, 

 so much as a dog shaking a rat." Fortunately 

 for the poor fellow, his body was very thickly co- 

 vered with cloths, for on such occasions an Irish- 

 man of this class is fond of displaying his ward- 

 robe, and if he has three coats at all in the ioorld 

 he is sure to put them all on. 



'This circumstance in all probability saved the 

 individual who had so gallantly volunteered the 

 forlorn hope. His person was so deeply envel- 

 oped in extra-teguments, that the horse never got 

 fairly hold of his skin, and I understand that ho 

 escaped with but little injury, beside the sadlyrenl 

 and totally ruined state of his holyday toggery. 



'The Whisperer was sent, for, who having ar- 

 rived, was shut up with (lie horse all night, and in 

 the morning he exhibited this hitherto ferocious 

 animal, following him about the course like a dog 

 — lying down at his command — suffering his 

 mouth to be opened, and any person's hand to be 

 introduced into it — in short, as quiet almost as a 

 sheep. 



He came out the same meeting, and won a race, 

 and his docility continued satisfactory liir along 

 time; but at the end of about three years his vice re- 

 turned, and then he is said to have killed a man, 

 for which he was destroyed.' 



It may not be uninteresting in tins connexion, 

 to give some account of this tamer of quadruped 

 vice. However strange and magical his power 

 may seem to be, there is no doubt of the truth of 

 the account that is given of him. The Rev. INI r. 

 Townsend, in his Statistical Survey of Cork, first 

 introduced him to the notice, of the public gene- 

 rally, although his fame had long spread overthal 

 part of Ireland. We, however, give, the follow- 

 ing extract from Croker's Fairy Leo-ends and 



