TRICKS OF THE TRADE 233 



If the animal has passed through many hands, 

 remaining with no owner any considerable length of 

 time, it is safe to conclude that there is some radical 

 fault or blemish which is not easily discoverable. If a 

 horse is purchased of a thoroughly reliable dealer or 

 breeder, it is only fair that something of the price of 

 the animal be considered as representing the reputation 

 of the seller. One can afford to pay more for a purchase 

 from a well-known, reputable horseman than from a 

 stranger. 



The horse should be led out of the stable slowly. 

 While this is being done, stand at some little distance 

 in front of the animal. Little defects, such as slight 

 lameness, may be detected if the animal is not excited. 

 Some horsemen make it a practice to excite their horses, 

 even when standing in the stalls, by sharp words and 

 a liberal use of the whip. All this tends to make the 

 horse hold his head high, to forget for the time the 

 pain in an unsound foot or limb, and to appear alert, 

 spirited and beautiful. These little tricks of the trade 

 are sometimes seen at professional horse sales. 



In judging horses, four ideas are paramount: abil- 

 ity to perform the service desired, reliability, endur- 

 ance, and symmetry and beauty of form. True service 

 consists in using energy economically, that it may give 

 satisfaction to the owner, whether the energy be 

 expended in moving heavy loads or in covering the 

 greatest distance in the shortest possible time. Horses, 

 then, should be selected with the view of securing the 

 results desired in the most economical manner. Since 

 they are put to a variety of uses and are placed under 



