HOW TO DO BUSINESS. 235 



penses, and then in disgust he sends him to be sold by 

 auction for what the public choose to give for him, and 

 consequently he becomes a heavy loser. 



When this happens, the blame is usually laid on bad 

 luck instead of bad judgment; from which cause it 

 invariably may be traced. 



Such a state of things could not possibly happen in 

 buying a horse described as a hunter from a dealer of 

 respectability ; for he would never have purchased a 

 horse so unfitted in every way from defective form, &c., 

 for the purpose. 



And even in going into the dealer's yard, great cau- 

 tion must be exercised not to take a fancy to a horse in 

 the stable because he is enamoured of his appearance, 

 &c., for he may then purchase a charger, carriage 

 horse, or hack, instead of a hunter : but let him dis- 

 tinctly give the dealer to understand exactly what 

 he wants ; viz., the nature of the country over which 

 he hunts, whether he rides hard, and whether he 

 requires a horse very quiet and handy, or whether he 

 can put up with certain peculiarities ; and to save giving 

 the dealer unnecessary trouble, let him state the price 

 he can afford to give ; there need then be no misunder- 

 standing, and there will be every chance of a horse 

 being found in every essential particular suited to 

 his purpose. It is a ridiculous mistake to suppose that 

 a high class of dealer never has a low-priced horse in 

 his stable ; for it necessarily happens that out of a 

 number of horses there must be some that he will be 

 willing, from a variety of causes, to sell at a sacrifice ; 



