346 HONEST MEASURES. 



what might be done in one where a man intends to 

 do. 



All persons who are not amateurs of horses are 

 much more suspicious of those whose business lies in 

 that way than those who are ; but, unluckily, their 

 suspicions are seldom directed to the right point : so, 

 not knowing what to guard against, these suspicions 

 do them no good. The chief apprehensions I have 

 heard people express in sending a horse to a commis- 

 sion stable for sale are, first, that he will be cheated 

 of his proper feeding ; and, secondly, that the owner 

 of the stables will keep the horse unsold for the advan- 

 tage he derives from the livery expenses. Nothing 

 can be more futile or groundless (in a general way) 

 than both these apprehensions ; not from any honesty 

 on the part of the owner or his subordinates if 

 either or both are inclined to be tricky, but from 

 other causes. With respect to the feeding: this is 

 done by the foreman, who, in large establishments, 

 generally goes at the regular feeding hours with a 

 corn-barrow to the different stables: here he gives 

 to the man or men, according to the number of horses, 

 a feed for each. Thus the foreman cannot cheat the 

 horses without the knowledge of the strappers; and 

 he values his berth too much to put himself in their 

 power ; for if he did, he would soon become under 

 them instead of their being under him. As he dare 

 not keep back corn for his own advantage, you may 

 depend upon it he would not do so for that of his 

 master, unless directed by him to that effect : and 

 this he would not be, for then he would have it in his 

 power to expose his employer. So, even supposing 

 the whole lot master, foreman, and strappers to 

 be rogues } the fear of each other in this particular 



