90 HUMANE HORSE-TRAINING 



becomes absolutely confused. It would be better, instead 

 of this stupid outburst of temper, to imitate Charlie 

 Chaplin or George Robey, and to slash the fence with 

 the whip ! The horse's confusion would change to 

 astonishment and he would probably move off. 



Gentlemen of the coper fraternity resort to the snuff 

 method known as " spiffing " to start what is known as 

 a " nappy " horse (blowing black snuff into the left 

 nostril — a very cruel practice), while some give an injection 

 of cocaine. 



I have seen bad-tempered men tie a chain round 

 the horse's neck and drag him behind a cart until the 

 neck has been dislocated. Another old dealers' trick is 

 to harness the horse up in a field, place a truss of hay 

 about fifty yards away, and to leave the horse alone. 

 When he feels hungry he will walk towards the hay ; 

 but this method is forming a worse habit — that of 

 running away — and eventually the horse, when coaxed 

 to start, wants to run away, and is worse than ever, and 

 when stopped he resumes the jibbing. 



My attention was called the other day by some 

 gypsies to a jibber they had ; he certainly was a bad 

 one, and gloried in being able to take a hard thrashing. 

 He was too old to coax, and he knew he could stand as 

 long as he liked. 



