88 THE COMPLETE HORSEMAN 



Above all it is essential that your groom 

 should be a steady man. He will frequently, of 

 necessity, have the sole charge of horses worth 

 many hundreds of pounds, and their well-being 

 and their very safety will depend on his reliability. 

 He is a wise groom who never takes a drink at all 

 on a show ground, and who avoids as much as 

 possible drinking in company. 



A thoroughly reliable man, and there are 

 many such with whom the writer is acquainted, 

 is invaluable. He is frequently a man of fair 

 education ; and if he happens to show the horse 

 as well as prepare him, his opinion about buying 

 a likely horse to come on will always be worth 

 careful consideration. I know of more than one 

 good show horse now that was bought on the 

 recommendation of a man who was showing 

 another horse in the class. When an intelligent 

 man of this class tells you that such a horse 

 '* would do well if we had him " do not pass 

 him by without due consideration. 



It must always be taken into serious considera- 

 tion that a man of this class, as well as the dealer, 

 has a character to lose ; that his character for 

 knowledge of his business, for knowledge of 

 horse flesh and for integrity is his capital ; and 

 that every little Idche is made much of by those 

 who are jealous of him. 



As instances of how thoroughly reliable dealing 

 men are I may state that two horses which I know 

 well and which are quite in the front rank were 

 bought ' unseen ' on the recommendation of 



