28 THE HORSE 



dismissal for incompetence. Many owners of horses, 

 however, are unfortunately completely under the 

 power of their servants, and simply so because they 

 themselves are entirely ignorant of all subjects 

 connected with the noble animal, and are ashamed 

 to display their ignorance to those about them. 

 Needless to say that these are the persons who are 

 easily fleeced, though why a man who, for instance, 

 is a clever lawyer but knows nothing of horseflesh, 

 should be reluctant to ask advice, and, if necessary, 

 pay for it, from a reliable acquaintance who under- 

 stands all the details of a stable, but is ignorant of 

 law, is a quite unintelligible illustration of human 

 weakness. The horsey man is not ashamed of pro- 

 claiming his inability to expound the law ; why 

 should the barrister or solicitor be reluctant to be 

 equally candid regarding his unacquaintance with 

 matters equine ? 



In buying a horse from a respectable dealer who 

 has a reputation to lose, the novice is pretty safe ; 

 but he will have to pay dealers' prices for his pur- 

 chase, and that probably will not please a careful 

 man. On the other hand, if he goes alone to an 

 auction and buys under the hammer, he is very 

 likely indeed to secure a ragged bargain, unless, as 

 suggested above, the animal he selects comes from a 

 reliable stable and has a warranty; but then this 

 difficulty arises — the tyro, by reason of his ignorance, 

 cannot discriminate between the honest men and 

 the others. To a fair the beginner should never go 

 unless under the guidance of a friendly mentor, who 

 understands the points of a horse, and it is not 

 always easy to find a competent judge with the time 

 and money to spare to enable him to accompany his 

 friend. Upon the whole the best and safest plan, 

 except, of course, visiting a leading dealer and 

 paying him his price, is for the novice to enlist the 

 services of an expert in horseflesh, be he auctioneer 



