CHAPTER XXII. 



PUECHASIXG A KORSE. 



()24. — Franklin has told us that "pride costs us more than 

 hunger, thirst, and cold ;" and pride in horse lore, though a very 

 common is a very expensive article. There are many young men 

 who think that they can go into a horse fair and cope with 

 all the tricksters and sharpers whose special business it is to take 

 advantage of such foolish conceit, and to make a horse appear 

 exactly what he is not. Such greenhorns not only lose their own 

 money but they foster cruel men and cruel practices, which 

 would be less common if less successful. jMen whose special 

 business it is to cope with the lowest horse dealers, who know all 

 their tricks, both ancient and modern, and whose eyes are alive 

 to every defect that the horse is subject to, are liable to be taken 

 in, and calculate on a certain per centage for that contingency, 

 but the inexperienced man has no chance whatever of escaping 

 deception, and only shows his want of judgment in exj)ecting to 

 do so. 



625. — There are several reasonable ways of going to work to 

 get a horse. Perhaps the most' simple and convenient way 

 generally is to go to a dealer, of character and responsibility, and 

 tell him exactly what you want. Don't ask him for a perfect 

 horse. You won't get that. Tell him exactly what virtues you 

 must have, and what defects you can put up with, and the lower 

 the price you expect to give, the more defects you must be pre- 

 pared for. You perhaps want a horse at a low price that will be 

 sound, useful, safe, and quiet, and can be left standing alone. 

 Then you must lie prepared to dispense with good looks, great 

 speed, and showy action, and most likely, with that freeness that 

 would require no whip, as these are expensive things, and 



