34 THE STUD. 



workj which not one young horse in half-a-dozen 

 will do without shortly getting ?.miss someichere ; 

 in fact, like old china, that is quite as strong or 

 stronger after it has been broken, and then pro- 

 perly cemented and ri vetted, so are seasoned 

 horses much less liable to get amiss in work 

 than young ones, though the former, like the china, 

 may have been chipped, cracked, broken, and put 

 tosrether ao-ain. 



There can be no doubt but the most certain 

 way of getting a sound horse, and one likely to 

 continue so, would be to make interest with a 

 veterinary surgeon to go as a private friend, and 

 examine the one intended to be purchased (a favour, 

 I allow, it would be most difficult to obtain). Here 

 he would be bound by no professional delicacy or 

 rules to prevent his giving, not merely an opinion, 

 but advice as to the promise of the animal : if he 

 has good taste and judgment as to other particulars, 

 so much the better : if you think he has not, first 

 take the advice of some good judge as to looks, 

 fitness for the intended purpose for which the 

 animal is purchased, and also as to fairness of 

 price. Having done this, and then got the opinion 

 as regards soundness, there is little fear of being' 

 disappointed in the way the purchase will turn 

 out, "barring" (as Paddy says) "bad luck." 



The chief end and aim of books written for the 

 use of purchasers (at least such as I have read) 



