184 UNASKED ADVICE. 



glass or two lias been taken. But horses are not like 

 bottles of wine ; no man, however clever he may be, can 

 be certain about how a young horse will turn out, let 

 the juvenile be ever so promising. All that anyone can 

 say of an untried horse is that he ought to make a good 

 one, while the virtues and shortcomings of a horse of 

 mature age are pretty well known, and generally more or 

 less visible. In buying a fresh young horse of a dealer^ 

 you get a sound horse; the dealer warrants him to be 

 sound at the time of sale, but of course he cannot answer 

 for his remaining so when put to hard work. There are 

 many blemishes which in no way detract from a horse^s 

 working powers, but which unfit him for purposes of 

 show, such as London work, where appearances must be 

 studied. Such animals, and sound aged horses, are the 

 ones to buy where work, and work only, is the object. 

 Persons who wish for " performers '' who are also hand- 

 Some must go to a first-class dealer, and be prepared to 

 pay. Then they must use their judgment, or, with all 

 their expenditure they may find that they have missed 

 getting hold of perfection. Looks they are pretty sure 

 of obtaining ; but it is possible that they get " only that, 

 and nothing more.^^ Poor men will do well to avoid 

 young horses, and even the six-year-old sound horse of 

 the dealer. They are sure to lose by the latter, as they 

 buy him at the time when he is most valuable — ^^ quoted 

 at par," as it were — and the dealer must make his profit 

 on him. The rich man will keep his horse, if he likes 

 him, until the animal be worn out. If he sells his stud, 

 for any such reason as going abroad, he expects to lose, 

 and does not mind doing so." This does not suit a poor 

 man. Hunters differ from other horses, as being fancy 

 articles in most cases. It may pay a poor man who is a 



