MARKETS AND SHOWS 301 



purchase of which there is so much suspicion and misgiving 

 as a horse, yet there are horses sold on their merits and at prices 

 which they are well worth. It may be further stated that there 

 is nothing else in the purchase of which the buyer expects so 

 much for so little. There probably always will be gyp dealers, 

 but the only excuse for their existence is the credulity, ignor- 

 ance, short-sightedness, and narrow policy of buyers. These 

 traits of character constitute the business assets of tlie illegitimate 

 seller. 



On the other hand, much has been accomplished in an effort 

 to ])ut the horse business* on a sound basis, where dealers stake 

 their reputation on their sales the sauie as is done with pianos, 

 real estate, diamonds, or any commodity of trade. Oue does not 

 hesitate to pay a premium for a watch, a hat, or even a bottle of 

 milk, which is the product of a house or finn Avith a i'e])utatiou 

 for furnishing full value* in their gooxls. Yet a horse dealer is 

 charged with unfairness and even chicanery, in many cases, if 

 he charges much more than the cost of the raw material after 

 having " made " the horses and sold them with a guarantee which 

 protects the buyer from even the inevitable. This; is done 

 at the risk of the seller, who hazards niiiny things for which he 

 is in no way responsible, even should they occur. Another source 

 of difficulty is the indiscriminate manner in which advice is 

 accepted. The coachman, the town liveryman, the village black- 

 smith. Uncle Hiram, and all the others are regarded as the wise 

 ones, whose conflicting opinions must be accorded more consid- 

 eration than the claims of the perfectly respectable citizen whose 

 own business prosperity depends upon the horses he sells making 

 good all he claims for them. 



It is a ridiculous situation. Any person who cares suffi- 

 ciently for a horse to use him intelligently and with satisfaction 

 should be competent to buy one. He should be able to deter- 

 mine, by trial, whether or not the horse meets the buyer's require- 

 ments ; and if he is, temporarily at least, sound of eyes, wind, 

 and limb. If there is any question in regard to an obscure un- 

 soundness, the services of a veterinarian should be employed to 

 settle that point. If one does not feel qualified to make his oa\ti 

 selection, but finds it necessary to seek advice, he should go direct 



