FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE 



the equipages which they use upon state occasions 

 and court days, elect in all such matters to indulge 

 liberally in personal preference and convenience. 

 If they, after centuries of trial, have reached such 

 practical conclusions, by what right do we arro- 

 gate to ourselves the power to set up standards in 

 such matters, since, seventeen years ago, before 

 the inception of the horse-show as a public educa- 

 tor, we few of us soared above the level of the 

 carryall, the buggy, and the chaise, distinctively 

 American vehicles, which it is doubtful if we have 

 ever, for practical use, greatly improved upon. 



It must not be imagined that any intention ex- 

 ists of ridiculing the methods by which we have 

 arrived at the generally attractive ensemble which 

 nowadays predominates ; on the contrary, there 

 can be nothing but praise for the amateurs who 

 have given so liberally of both time and money to 

 attain perfection in such details ; but this con- 

 ceded, it can hardly be denied that there is a con- 

 stant straining for effect which inevitably prevents 

 lack of uniformity of arrangements, and the adop- 

 tion of any definite standard of excellence, and 

 seems to insure the arrival at results but too often 

 as bizarre as unworkmanlike. Dictatorial selec- 

 tion has almost completely overridden common- 



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