FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE 



over-looked cause, is where so many troubles and 

 so much dissatisfaction arise in horse buying. A 

 dealer drives all day, and every day, all sorts of 

 rough, half-schooled and timid horses, in the pro- 

 cess of " city-breaking " them ; going past, and up 

 to all sorts of objects with perfect safety, and as 

 a matter of course with horses which, until they 

 learn their way about, would > climb trees and 

 church-steeples with the average driver. Conse- 

 quently, he is utterly unable to answer intelli- 

 gently the question whether any horse is quiet and 

 " family broken." He is, with the dealer , a per- 

 fect lamb, and that gentleman honestly considers 

 him so. With you he proves a regular " limb," 

 and dire is your consequent wrath, and great the 

 possible destruction of your property. Yet the 

 horse is again, in the dealer's hands, as you are 

 much mortified to find, a patent-safety convey- 

 ance. Both parties are honest in such transactions, 

 and both right according to their lights, but the 

 dealer invariably gets the worst of it. Yet it was 

 all your own fault, every bit of it. The dealer 

 knew you were not a horseman the moment he 

 saw you. The horse realized it the moment you 

 laid hands on reins, and he took liberties accord- 

 ingly. The dealer could not possibly know what 



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