244 THE HUNTING FIELD 



and the sound ones the exception. It is ridiculous 

 to suppose that men whose business is horse dealing 

 — who have been at it all their lives, and many of 

 their fathers before them — with the extensive rami- 

 fications of long-continued business — can find it their 

 interest to deal in what must be unsatisfactory articles 

 to their customers, or yet that such men are to be 

 beat out of their own markets by the newly jumped 

 up capital-less judge of yesterday. These "gentlemen 

 dealers " as they call themselves often take up the 

 trade, because it is a ready-money one — ready-money 

 at least as far as the seller is concerned, though we 

 are not quite so sure about its being a ready-money 

 one when they are the buyers. It is then " I'll give 

 you a bill at three months," or, " If you don't want 

 the money at present, I don't care if I give the odd 

 five : " whereas the regular dealer is the credit giver, 

 if there is any. Indeed it is this credit giving that 

 tends to run horses up to such enormous prices in 

 London. Even of licensed horse dealers there may 

 be said to be two distinct classes, namely, the dealers 

 in young fresh horses, and the traffickers in aged, 

 blemished, second-hand ones, as they may be called. 

 It is the province of the latter that the "gentlemen 

 dealers " chiefly invade. Again there are men calling 

 themselves gentlemen, and even admitted into the 

 society of those who are, who do not hesitate to act 

 as middle-men between a buyer and a seller. We 

 have known men who did not scruple to take a five- 

 pound note for buying a horse "cheaper," as they 

 call it, for another than he could for himself. These 

 are the men who talk themselves into the reputation 

 of judges, and the ignorant and uninformed in these 

 matters are glad to avail themselves of their experi- 

 ence rather than trust to the word of a dealer. The 

 dealers know these men, and know that unless they 

 have their good word they have very little chance of 

 selling their horses, and of course that good word 



