SELECTING THE HORSE. 



" Let your wisdom be your guide." 



In choosing your steed it is as well to remember the 

 genuine old saying that a good horse is never a bad 

 colour but in setting up the first " Turn Out " there are 

 often many difficulties to surmount in this respect, it being 

 the wish or desire on the part of the purchaser, or those 

 of his family or friends whom he may consult, that the 

 horse shall be some particular colour ; and the height, age, 

 make, and price is carefully laid down ; in fact the under- 

 taking is gone into with such apparent nicety, and made 

 of so serious a moment that these complications are ulti- 

 mately determined upon, and thereby it almost becomes an 

 absolute necessity that the speculator shall be measured for 

 his wants, e're he can be (to use the old trade term) 

 carefully or successfully fitted. Newspapers are frequently 

 looked over with the object of meeting with some 

 advertisement of an animal calculated to answer the exact 

 purpose, and after considerable searching, a horse is found 

 that will probably suit in every respect, and a journey is 

 made for the special purpose of purchasing. On arriving 

 at the address given, it is invariably discovered that an 

 omission has been made in the notice, viz., that the horse 

 has been down ; or, is aged ; perhaps too young ; a mere 

 baby and like a cub bear has all its troubles before it; or, 

 has once run away ; is a kicker ; crib biter ; not quiet in 

 harness, or with children ; is given to shying ; requires a 

 lot of whip, or is vicious tempered ; in fact, the probability 

 of numerous faults or shortcomings are likely to be found, 

 unless the would-be purchaser has had some previous cor- 



