124 THE HORSE. 



immense and constant demand also for horses, 

 greatly diminishes the chance of finding a good 

 one, and with respect to those of high qualifica- 

 tions, they never abound, or fail to command a 

 high price. It is probable, that the saddlehorse of 

 fifty or sixty years since, was more useful than of 

 the present day, as having more substance, less 

 height, and shorter legs, yet with a good, and for 

 the road, sufficient mixture of racing blood. Per- 

 haps the first, and most important counsel to be given 

 in this case, is to advise, that no inexperienced person 

 attempt to purchase ahorse for himself; for there are 

 so many considerations involved in the act, and so 

 many difficulties of decision to be encountered, that 

 the most experienced horsemen often hesitate, and 

 not seldom, after a purchase, find themselves out- 

 witted by the mere nature of the case. A dealer of 

 first rate experience, and with every requisite for con- 

 ducting his business upon the most advantageous 

 terms, shall purchase and bring up a string of horses 

 from the country to the metropolis, and subsequently 

 find most of them greatly below his first expectation. 

 The safest course then for a buyer without experience, 

 is to engage a thorough judge of the kind of horse 

 in request, with a proper remuneration, if necessary. 

 As to buying a horse of a friend, an old jockey of 

 my acquaintance used to declare, that of all sellers 

 he would least choose a friend ; adding, that it was 

 too much to expect from any man the unaccount- 

 able honesty of crying stinking fish. The too gene- 

 ral neglect of this counsel has been the chief cause 

 of the many fatal accidents with which the public 



