42 CONFESSIONS OF A HOBSE DEALER, 



had never been driven as * c apair" in a gentleman's 

 carriage. One was a confirmed " roarer," and the other 

 a rank " piper." They had been selected and pur- 

 chased solely for coping purposes, and belonged to that 

 class termed by copers " flatcatchers.' 1 and their value 

 was not more than 20. 



" Why won't they pass a veterinary surgeon's exam- 

 ination ?" enquired the gentleman. 



" They appear to be the least in the world touched 

 in their wind, sir, but with a groom who understands 

 the treatment of this little infirmity in horses, it would 

 never be the least perceived, and, in the course of six 

 months, I have no doubt that any veterinary surgeon 

 would pass them perfectly sound. The groom who has 

 had them in charge has been giving them mouldy hay 

 and musty oats, feeding them with large quantities of 

 this provender a very short time before they were or- 

 dered out, and thus distended their stomachs with un- 

 digested food, as to make it appear as if they were af- 

 fected in their wind, to serve his own purposes." 



" Indeed ! what purposes could lie have to serve by 

 so wantonly depreciating his master's property ?" 



" Why, sir, it is customary, when a gentleman pur- 

 chases a pair of carriage horses from a dealer, to make 

 the groom and coachman a present. This pair of horses 

 were bought from a dealer who has made a stand against 

 this custom, and the result is the slow, but sure re- 

 venge, which the groom practised, and by this means 

 he succeeded in prejudicing his master ID favour of the 



