SOME CURIOUS HOKSES 249 



he thought it was all right, and never took the 

 trouble to watch. 



As I was determined to find out the trick, I 

 made my groom mount him. The man rather 

 funked it, and said he had no spurs on ; so I gave 

 him mine, and he mounted and went off. How- 

 ever, his reign was not long. Starting in a canter, 

 he tried to gallop the horse, and touched him with 

 the spurs, whereupon the brute shot out a fore-leg 

 and spun round on it just as if he had been a 

 teetotum. Of course, the man flew off, just as I had 

 done. However I saw clearly that he would not 

 bear the spur, and this seemed to be the secret. I 

 mounted him again, without spurs, and rode him 

 round and round for a considerable time, and got 

 him to gallop by degrees, but in a very sulky way. If 

 I attempted to rise in my stirrups, or even move my 

 heel towards his side, I felt he was preparing for his 

 dodge ; however, I did not give him a second chance. 



After this I rode him regularly every day for an 

 hour or more in the plough, and, finding he was 

 not touched with the spur the horse went fairly 

 freely. Next I took him out with my groom, 

 riding a steady old hunter, and tried him over 

 some small plain fences on a ground I had for 

 schooling horses. He took to the work at once, 

 and became very clever, and, as it was quite clear 



