304 Management and Treatment of the Horse. 



Many of them, when they know a gentleman is 

 in want of a certain class of horse, will go to a 

 fair or to some coper, and buy a good-looking 

 screw for a few pounds ; they will then send it 

 to stand at livery at some respectable livery 

 stable. Coper I^To. 1 is again called in, but this 

 time he takes the part of a gentleman, and Mr. 

 Commission-hunter introduces Mr. Flat to Mr. 

 Sharp, who soon sells him a miserable screw, 

 Mr. Commission taking his share of the plunder, 

 and departing in peace. When the horse arrives 

 at Mr. Flat's stable, they find that if they have 

 bought a horse they themselves have been sold. 

 There are still another class who are the most 

 heartless of all the horse-coping tribe ; they are 

 men who sell horses upon commission. If they 

 have a wealthy man, they will sell his horse 

 fairly, because they think they can make him 

 pay by future commissions ; but let a man, who 

 has come down in the world and is forced to sell 

 his horse and carriage, fall into their hands, you 

 will just see the difference of their treatment. 

 They will let the horses stay in the stable and 

 never try to sell them until a large bill has run 

 up for expenses; then they look out for a customer, 

 and when they have one, will go to the owner 

 and tell him things are very dull, and that he 

 cannot get a bid for them, but as the captain 

 wishes to part with them he will give 60 or 

 perhaps 100 guineas for the pair, and keep them 

 himself in case a purchaser should turn up, and 

 if not, he will put them to work to earn their 



