MANNERS. 119 



Regarding this point S. Sidney, in his " Book of the 

 Horse," page 189, says : 



" All things being equal, a gelding will fetch more money as a hunter, 

 carriage horse or hack than a stallion or mare. Indeed, a stallion, if aged, 

 unless with a character as a hunter, or remarkable action, and warranted 

 quiet, is very difficult to sell at all, unless thoroughbred or of the heavy 

 draft breed. Railroad companies charge double or nearly double fare for a 

 single stallion, and often compel you to take a whole box. 



"The common theory is that for saddle, a gelding is worth at least 

 ^5 more than a mare equal in every other respect. For harness pur- 

 poses some persons will not use a mare at all. High-priced pairs of full- 

 sized carriage horses are always geldings. Job masters have scarcely any- 

 thing else in their stables ; but on turning to the advertisements of sales by 

 auction at Albert Gate, or to the catalogues of horse shows, it will be found 

 that a very large number of hacks, not exceeding fifteen hands two inches, 

 are described as quiet to drive as well as to ride, and that a very large per- 

 centage of these are mares, which, when well bred, are usually handsomer 

 than geldings, and have more character. 



" You find a great many mares worked in harness in light carriages, 

 both single and double. In my time I have had more mares than geldings, 

 always drove them in harness, and never met with a serious accident ; but 

 then my horses, although full fed, were never idle, a condition which in 

 horses, as well as men, is the root of all evil. 



"A good mare must not be rejected, although a gelding is decidedly to 

 be preferred for harness purposes, for it can be shown, on undeniable evi- 

 dence, that a number of very valuable harness horses are mares, and equally 

 good in harness and under saddle. Before the Franco-German war, a light 

 boned gray mare was the byword for the most unprofitable, unsalable arti- 

 cle in horse flesh ; but since that cavalry-consuming epoch there is a pur- 

 chaser for a good horse of either sex or color." 



MANNERS. 



Until very recently dealers paid little or no attention to 

 training their horses in the proper performance of the duties 

 they were called upon to serve when they became the prop- 



