BUYING. 153 



not only get a heavy addition to his purse, but the good will of the lady, by 

 making the old gentleman evince to the world the fervor of his adoration, by 

 the price he paid to gratify her whim." "The Pocket and Stud" pp.172, 173. 



" The fact is, the value of a hunter is nominal, but not often definable ; 

 it is only to be defined in one way : if half a dozen known good riders to 

 hounds would each give a hundred and fifty or any given price for the same 

 horse, that price for the time being is his value ; but it in no way follows, 

 because an owner may set a given price on his horse and may find a pur- 

 chaser to give it, that such is his value ; the price set on him arose from 

 his owner's estimation of the qualifications the animal possessed, and the 

 price given was from the purchaser's estimation of them being the same as 

 the owner's ; probably no other man would have given half the money 

 many would not perhaps ride the horse if they were paid for doing it." 

 "The Pocket and Stud," p. 171. 



" The last hint that I shall offer on this topic is to decide, in the first 

 instance, the limit in price ; and having settled ' the figure,' to allow no 

 horse dealing oratory to change the determination. I may observe that a 

 horse, which is really good and exactly adapted to a man's purpose, is dear 

 at no price ; but it by no means follows that because a high price is asked or 

 even refused, that the horse is worth it." Sir George Stephen, " The Adven- 

 tures of a Gentleman in Search of a Horse" p. TJ. 



BUYING. 



Horse buying to be successfully conducted must be lim- 

 ited to those persons who have developed, by practical expe- 

 rience, an instinctive appreciation of what constitutes a good 

 horse and the right type for a special purpose. The neces- 

 sary acquirements and gifts of a competent judge are, a 

 thorough understanding of equine anatomy and maladies, 

 together with clear judgment and trained hands and eyes ; 

 for such knowledge a long and varied experience is abso- 

 lutely essential. 



The average man is quite satisfied to devote his time to 

 more intellectual and remunerative pursuits than it is con- 



