30 THE COMPLETE HORSEMAN 



To a very considerable extent the place of 

 the fairs is supplied by the modern Horse show 

 which is an excellent market for good horses of 

 a certain class. And the guinea hunter — as the 

 tout at a fair was named — is represented at the 

 shows by a smart gentleman who is a thorough 

 judge of a horse and a better judge of men, and 

 whose combined knowledge enables him to pick 

 up a nice little income. 



These gentlemen indeed are of a different 

 class and hold a more assured position than 

 those whose place they have taken and most of 

 them are the accredited representatives of the 

 large dealers and have a district allotted to them. 

 I have known some of them do a little dealing on 

 their own account but the man who expects he 

 is going to buy a bargain from them will find 

 himself disappointed for the best of their horses 

 naturally go to the dealer whom they represent. 



The tyro who goes about amongst breeders 

 in search of horses will generally find that the 

 best of them have gone into the hands of one or 

 other of the big dealers. Nor is this to be won- 

 dered at, for as a rule dealers are the best buyers. 

 An instance may be given. There was a certain 

 horse of very high quality that wanted ' moving.' 

 He was a trifle too much for the man who had 

 him, and 1 mentioned the fact to a friend of 

 mine who was a fine horseman and advised 

 him to buy. The owner asked 300 gs. for his 

 horse ; my friend bid him £160. Both prices 

 were out of course, the latter was absurd. A 



