196 BREEDING HORSES FOR PROFIT 



breeding. But hunters and polo-ponies, though 

 most interesting animals to breed and school 

 when young, and still pleasanter with good 

 manners a few years later, are very ticklish 

 financially, and many a clever horseman and 

 good judge has ended his days in poverty on 

 account of his passion for breeding or trying to 

 make good hunters pay, when the sale prices 

 were dead against him, and a little ill-luck 

 thrown in, made him a poor man instead of 

 being fairly comfortably off — if only he had not 

 bred horses as a business when he ouofht to 

 have taken it up as a hobby in quite a small way. 



But there are dealers who have and do make it 

 pay, but they are exceptions — good business men, 

 who probably in any other calling would have 

 made a great deal more money than ever they 

 did out of hunters, hacks, and harness-horses. 



Let this caution not damage the ardour of the 

 man who is determined to breed hunters at all 

 hazards ; let it make him extra careful with his 

 economy, and make him avoid having any bad 

 debts through selling horses to gentlemen in a 

 good social position who do not pay him at the 

 time when the horse changes stables — and very 

 often never pay at all — waiting perhaps for the 

 death of a wealthy relative who still continues 

 to live, or else expecting to marry an heiress 

 who will defray the luxuries of hunters bought 

 from dealers who get abused if they do not sell 

 horses sound in limb, wind, and eyesight, and 

 first-rate performers over a big county — on 

 very doubtful security. 



