BUYING HORSES 25 



his ignorance, is imposed upon. Markham it 

 may be said in passing was absolutely void of 

 the saving grace of humour, for a couple of pages 

 before he discourses of the Tricks and Cheats 

 of Jockeys he gives elaborate instructions '* How 

 to stop the Glanders for a Day or two whilst 

 you have Sold or Swapped away your Horse 

 who is troubled with the Same " ! ! 



Yet Markham was a man who knew what 

 he was talking about when Horses formed the 

 subject of his discourse, notwithstanding the 

 empirical remedies he was constantly advocating 

 and of which the one just referred is a specimen, 

 and his preliminary remarks to the would-be 

 purchaser of horses are as applicable now as 

 they were when they were written nearly four 

 hundred years ago. So I make no apology for 

 quoting them in full. 



'' But to begin, First, There are these Things 

 to be observed if you will chuse a Horse that 

 shall be for your Turn, and please you in every 

 Part and in all his Actions, Travels or other 

 Labours, as Hunting, Racing, War, drawing of a 

 Coach, Chariot, or any Rural Service whatsoever, 

 but take Notice that no one Horse can be capable 

 of all these. 



*' Therefore you must chuse your Horse accord- 

 ing to what you design him for, and so manage 

 him accordingly." 



The author of the Masterpiece has hit on the 

 cause of the many disappointments which the 

 tyro is so frequently encountering in his horse 



