148 BREEDERS. 



a pestilence. If he is a * sweet goer,' depend upon it you will be gently 

 dropped into the sweetest kennel in St. Giles's ; if he is ' well suited for a 

 charger,' he is sure to charge a haystack and a park of artillery with equal 

 determination ; if ' he never shies or stumbles,' the chances are, three to one, 

 that he is stone-blind, or cannot quit a walk ; the ' best horse in England ' is 

 to a certainty the worst in London ; when ' parted with for no fault ' it means 

 that he is sold for a hundred ; if ' the reasons will be satisfactorily explained,' 

 it may be taken for granted that the master has absconded, either for steal- 

 ing him or robbing his creditors ; when * built like a castle ' he will move 

 like a church steeple ; if * equal to fifteen stone up to the fleetest hounds in 

 England,' depend upon it he never saw the tail of a hound in his life ; if he 

 is a ' beautiful stepper,' you will find that he has the action of a peacock ; if 

 a ' liberal trial is allowed,' be most especially careful ; a deposit of half the 

 price, but three times his value, will assuredly be required as security for your 

 return ; and finally, whenever you see that he is the property ' of a tradesman 

 who wants to exchange for a horse of less value for his business,' of a ^gentle- 

 man who has given up riding from ill health,' or ' because he is going abroad,' 

 of ' a professional man whose avocations call him from town,' of ' a person of 

 respectability who can be referred to,' you may safely swear that he belongs 

 to a systematic chaunter, who will swindle you both out of horse and money, 

 and involve you in all the trouble, cost and vexation of an Old Bailey prose- 

 cution to boot." — " The Adventures of a Gentleman in Seai'ch of a Horse,^' 

 PP- 32,33 • 



Horses are sold in many ways by men whose varying 

 conditions are only exceeded by the variety of the animals 

 that pass through their hands. 



BREEDERS. 



The highest class and priced horses are obtained from 

 well-known dealers and breeders. The former go from place 

 to place during the off seasons of the year and buy what 

 they consider likely animals which they school and dispose 

 of to certain patrons or at private sales. If a buyer is going 

 in for well bred or show animals and is willing to pay a 



