THE DEAREST NOT ALWAYS THE SAFEST. 285 



Now in buying horses of second-rate dealers, you 

 also give too much : but this (of course I speak in a 

 general way) much more frequently arises from the 

 horse not turning out what you expect. A really 

 fine horse, with fine action and in fine condition, 

 cannot be much improved by all that can be done to 

 him ; but a rather plain horse with moderate action 

 can be wonderfully altered in his natural appearance 

 when shown ; so you run much more risk of being 

 disappointed in such horses after you have got them 

 than in superior ones. 



The first-rate dealer's horses, in his language, 

 " want no selling ; " they will " sell themselves : " the 

 second-rate dealer's will not, so he must sell them. 

 The first-rate dealer has only to talk you into price , 

 for as to the horse, as he might probably tell you, 

 "you can't mistake him;" now the other has to talk 

 you into price and horse too. Here I am only speaking 

 of young untried horses, and how far the appearance 

 of the two may afterwards correspond with your 

 ideas of them when shown to you. Allow that on 

 being brought home you have given ten pounds too 

 much for a forty-five pound horse : as he is just as 

 likely to be sound as the other, and equally likely to 

 turn out good for the purpose he is wanted, you still 

 have 35/. for your 45. Should he turn out but 

 badly, he must be bad indeed if he will not bring 

 25. ; so there is but 201. lost, though you were dis- 

 appointed in his looks and goodness : whereas should 

 the other look as well as he did, and also disappoint 

 you, the loss will in no shape merely be in proportion. 

 If it would, it would merely be that each buyer lost 

 according to his means and capital : but it would not, 

 and for this reason : the dealer in lower-priced horses 



