I30 THE PURCHASE OF YEARLINGS. 



recommend them but lumps of fat. It is forgotten that a 

 man can only work to the best of his ability with such tools 

 as are supplied to him. 



Now a good useful-looking yearling, with plenty of bone 

 and strength in proportion, may often be bought for a 

 moderate sum of a breeder who prefers to sell at home, who 

 does not stall-feed, and whose yearlings have their liberty 

 in the paddock from the day almost of foaling until the 

 hour they are sold. A case of this sort I may give that 

 happened to me some time ago. Whilst looking over Mr. 

 Harrison's breeding establishment in the North, I saw three 

 rough-looking colts galloping in his paddock, and in reply 

 to my inquiry as to their price, was told they would be sold 

 at York that week ; but as I could not stay for the sale I 

 made a conditional offer for them of i^5oo, supposing they 

 were not sold. They were put up, but not sold ; their rough, 

 hardy appearance, telling against them side by side with 

 other yearlings got up for sale, as I have described. After 

 the sale I received a telegram : " Horses not sold ; please 

 send for them." I did so, and the three were Starter, Judge, 

 and Stezvard ; either of the first two being worth double 

 what I gave for the three, both proving to be the winners of 

 many races. These colts had no glossy coats and very little 

 flesh ; but they were perfectly healthy, and their health and 

 appearance the result of play in the paddock, where they 

 galloped a great part of each day. 



Colts like these, when put in training, improve just as fast 

 as the fat ones go back. The fat ones become thin, whilst 

 the thin ones become comparatively fat, and in the follow- 

 ing year the latter are in much better condition, with muscle 

 more fully developed than the others which previously looked 

 so much better. Nor can anything else be expected. The 



