BUYING HORSES 35 



for ;^ioo if a certain deal came off. He did not 

 get it, nor did his employer get the horse, the 

 owner immediately putting an end to all 

 negotiations. 



At the same time, whilst deprecating the 

 exceptionally heavy ' Commissions ' I think a 

 groom should have a present given to him when 

 a new horse comes under his charge. A fresh 

 horse in a stable means a considerable amount 

 of extra trouble to the man who has to take care 

 of him and it encourages a man to take special 

 pains with the new inmate if he has a small 

 present given to him. Consequently the owner 

 of the horse will benefit. 



A gentleman who owns a large stud told me 

 a few years ago that when he bought horses he 

 always bought them on the understanding that 

 his groom got ;^5 out of the deal. If more than 

 that was given and he came to know of it the 

 groom was discharged and no more business was 

 done with the vendor of the horse. I should 

 add that the horses this gentlemen bought were 

 high-priced ones and that for horses under £ioo 

 in price {^$ would be an excessive ' commission.* 



Even if a man buys his horses from a dealer 

 and, so to speak, on the dealer's judgment, he 

 will have much more pleasure in his horses if his 

 own judgment is called into requisition at the 

 same time, and an observant man, who avails 

 himself of every opportunity of learning, should 

 soon be able to tell the horse that will suit him 

 when he sees him. 



