THE CARRIAGE-HORSE. 61 



or stumbles,' the chances are three to one that he is stone-blind or 

 cannot quit a walk ; ' the best horse in England' is to a certainty 

 the worst in London; when 'parted with for no fault/ it means that 

 he is sold for a hundred ; if ' the reason will be satisfactorily ex- 

 plained,' it maybe taken for granted that the master has absconded 

 either for stealing him or robbing his creditors ; when 'built like a 

 castle/ he will move like a church steeple ; if ' equal to fifteen stone 

 up to the fleetest hounds in England/ depend upon it he never saw 

 the tail of a hound in his life ; if he is a ' beautiful stepper/ you will 

 find that he has the action of a peacock ; if a liberal trial 'is allowed/ 

 be most especially careful ; a deposit of half the price, but three 

 times his value, will assuredly be required as security for your return ; 

 and finally, whenever you see that he is the ' property of a trades- 

 man who wants to exchange for a horse of less value for his business/ 

 of a ' gentleman who has given up riding from ill-health/ or because 

 ' he is going abroad/ of ' a professional man whose avocations call 

 him from town/ of 'a person of respectability who can be referred 

 to/ or of ' the executors of a gentleman lately deceased/ you may 

 safely swear that he belongs to a systematic chaunter, who will 

 swindle you both out of horse and money and involve you in all the 

 trouble, cost, and vexation of an Old Bailey prosecution to boot. 



Apart from the purchase from a friend, which is at all times 

 equally to be deprecated, inasmuch as it is a true saying that 'a 

 man will swindle his brother in horseflesh,' and you are very 

 likely to lose not only your money but your friend into the 

 bargain ; there remains purchase at auction or of a dealer. If 

 a man has some knowledge of horseflesh and can find out some- 

 thing of the previous history of the animal offered for sale, 

 he is very likely to pick up a bargain cheap at Tattersall's, 

 Aldridge's, or elsewhere. But even under such circumstances 

 a guinea is well expended in having the animal examined in the 

 yard by a competent and trustworthy veterinary surgeon. The 

 facilities there offered for a thorough investigation are, of course, 

 limited, and it is possible that a veterinary surgeon may be 

 unable to detect unsoundness, while under more favourable 

 circumstances he would at once be able to pronounce a true 

 opinion. 



I know of a horse which was sent to Tattersall's, described 



