THE EYE OF THE MASTER 75 



little difference, is to buy the very best 

 animals you can find from a good dealer, 

 making- the proviso that you shall be able to 

 ride them. This is in the end by far the most 

 economical way of buying. Horses with a 

 character will be found to sell well, and really 

 good ones deteriorate in value very little if 

 properly cared for. But with such fortunate 

 people I have nothing to do. Rather am I 

 concerned with those who must perforce give 

 small prices because they have not the where- 

 withal to pay more. Even to these I suggest 

 the wisdom of having fewer horses and paying- 

 more, when and if they are sure they can get 

 better ones by so doing. One really good 

 horse will, if he keeps sound, give more 

 pleasure than two or three indifferent ones. 

 It is at this point that the value of the 

 counsel offered in a former chapter will be 

 apparent. It is plain that if you are to have 

 cheap horses, the better you can ride the better 

 you will be mounted. For a great many horses 

 are rejected by wealthier men because they are 

 unpleasant or difficult to ride. These are the 

 best of the cheap horses, but they are no use 

 except to a fine and resolute horseman. 



There will be many men, however, who 

 cannot really hope to do much with horses 

 that are difficult to ride, and they again must 



