28 THE COMPLETE HORSEMAN 



should buy her. I advised him to leave her 

 alone and he followed my advice, and the mare 

 brought a trifle over twenty guineas. Within 

 two years £200 was refused for her ! And I 

 don't think I ever saw an angrier man than the 

 small dealer, to whom I thought I had been 

 rendering a service, when he told me the mare's 

 subsequent history. 



In this instance my friend and I both did 

 wrong. The mare had probably either been 

 cast in the horse box or had got laid wrong in 

 the loose box and injured herself slightly in the 

 struggle to get up. She was undoubtedly lame 

 and had probably strained some of the muscles 

 of her back. But she was improving every day 

 and that without treatment and she was worth 

 more than double the price she brought as a 

 brood mare, for she was a well-bred one and a 

 good performer. But she had been unlucky 

 and both my friend and I '* wanted to see her 

 back." I should not act so hastily now. 



There are three important matters for a man 

 to consider when he goes to buy a horse. The 

 first is what kind of horse he wants ; secondly 

 his own capabilities as a horseman ; and thirdly 

 the amount of money he can afford to give. 



Without doubt a great many of the dis- 

 appointments which a horse owner experiences 

 are due to his not making up his mind definitely 

 as to what he really wants. If a man only 

 wants a horse to carry him short journeys on 

 pleasure or for an afternoon ride it is a waste 



