FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE 



whether the full collegiate course must be com- 

 pleted. He who is content that his children shall, 

 as he himself did, stop short at the merest rudi- 

 ments, will pooh pooh the higher branches ; he 

 who believes that a horse is merely a beast which 

 turns either way if the steersman pull hard 

 enough, or stops if he pull more strongly, will 

 ridicule the idea of any further development ; yet 

 may, if he choose, and has ordinary patience and 

 intelligence, convert his equine into a patent 

 safety conveyance under almost any circumstances. 

 The public are greatly to blame, that, through 

 mistaken economy, they will not make this " edu- 

 cation " possible to the producer and the pur- 

 veyor. The qualities of fearlessness, etc., are 

 obtained by simply accustoming a horse to every- 

 thing ; and this takes time and money. If you, as 

 a buyer, will not pay the extra price the acquire- 

 ment of these accomplishments has cost, a dealer 

 will have certainly no intention of spending any 

 more time in such efforts upon his merchandise 

 than will make them way-wise enough to pass 

 muster, and the fault is yours, and yours only, if 

 trustworthy horses are not easily obtainable. In- 

 stead of a properly educated steed at $500 or 

 more, you will persist in buying one you know is 



84 



