136 UNASKED ADVICE. 



search of a cheap horse is a melancholy object, and is 

 certain to be done. The man buying for himself must 

 bear in mind certain things. Firstly, he must, intending 

 to hunt regularly with two horses, avoid a young one 

 like poison; the nags must be at least six off. If he 

 wishes to buy a green young horse, and "make" him with 

 a view to selling him at a profit, that is another thing ; he 

 may be sure that in so doing he will lose a good deal 

 of hunting, even if he makes some money. Our sports- 

 man of small means should keep clear of dealing as 

 much as possible. When he has a horse to suit him he 

 should keep him. In buying he must choose nags well 

 up to his weight. In all countries a galloper is desirable, 

 though in many a slow jumper can do the trick. He 

 should remember what brings sound horses to low 

 prices : it is either bad temper, bad manners, bad action, 

 ugliness, or age. Let him have nothing to do with the 

 first two qualifications, as he hunts for pleasure, and let 

 him avoid the third ; but a really good ugly one will be 

 the thing for him, as he must not go in for appearances ; 

 nor must he decline an aged horse if he be fresh on 

 his legs, and not positively an old one. Naturally sound 

 horses will, when well treated, work on up to twenty 

 years old; and there is no greater fallacy than the 

 rage for young untried ones. A young horse is sound 

 as a matter of course, but how he may turn out is a risk ; 

 whilst a horse who is sound at ten years old will probably 

 be sound for from five to ten years longer. Again, a 

 horse may not be sound enough to pass a veterinary 

 examination, yet may be a capital poor man's slave, and 

 never be out of work. There are some few things that 

 cannot be pardoned ; a sulky eye is one. Bad shoulders 



