32 THE PRACTICAL HORSE KEEPER. 



or a hundred miles to the fair. These horses generally parade 

 the streets, and the dealers in this class have their men stationed 

 on the different roads leading into the town. When a horse 

 comes to the fair of the class the dealers want, either the 

 dealer himself or one of his satellites finds out all about him, 

 and if the price is right they generally buy. When such a 

 man is engaged in bargaining for a horse, no one thinks of going 

 near him \ in fact with some men it would be dangerous to do 

 so. There is nothing that touches a man so quickly as his 

 pocket; and if a person were to ask the price of a horse 

 while another was trying to buy it, the seller would hold 

 out for his price on account of the chance of the other pur- 

 chasing, as well as thinking more highly of his horse, than he 

 might otherwise have done. When purchasing a hack or 

 harness horse in an open fair, after ascertaining the price 

 (which is a most important thing to do, as it is of no use 

 taking any further trouble if the seller wants <60 for his 

 horse and the buyer will only give 35), the age should be 

 known. If the animal is three, four, or five years old off, or 

 even six years old, there is a reason for his being at the fair. 

 At three or four years of age the breeder wishes to get rid of 

 him, and up to five or six years a man may have a horse that 

 he wishes to realise his money on ; but after that age, as a 

 rule, in this class of horse, there is some reason connected with 

 the horse himself for his being there. If a harness horse, he 

 has probably taken a liberty with the carriage, either by 

 running away or kicking ; if a hack, he is difficult to ride, or 

 has a hard mouth, etc. These are things that the buyer has 

 not much opportunity of finding out ; as a rule it is better not 

 to buy a horse over five years old at a fair. There are, no 

 doubt, many horses over that age at fairs both quiet and sound, 

 but there are a very great many that are not. 



Action and conformation are the two great points that 

 govern the price of hacks and harness horses ; some very good 



