36 THE STUD. 



and his five hundred pounds would probably be 

 the reward of another plan. It strikes me that, 

 instead of the futile attempt of making him a 

 match in dexterity for a pickpocket, the safe plan 

 would be, after telling him of the danger, to ad^-ise 

 him not to walk the street with the treasure in his 

 pocket, but to spend three shillings in a cab. 



I go something on this plan. I tell him, to the 

 best of my ability, what are real, imaginary, or 

 tolerable defects in the animal to be purchased. 

 This quantum of knowledge will prevent his taking 

 trouble about a horse with some absolute and de- 

 cidedly objectionable point or points about him, 

 and will prevent his at once rejecting one without 

 good reason ; and this is, I consider, quite sufficient 

 knowledge for most private individuals, as I sum 

 up the whole by recommending him to take pro- 

 fessional advice. It may be said that, if we are 

 always to take a professional opinion on purchasing 

 a horse, a man requires no knowledge at all. This 

 idea would, however, be quite erroneous ; for, un- 

 less a man is taught some insight into the points, 

 action, habits, and ailments of the horse, he would 

 be losing his time, and giving other persons trouble 

 about fifty ill-made, bad going, dangerously vicious, 

 or unsound animals, in succession. I should not 

 want to be taught the precise diameter of every 

 rope about a yacht ; but it would be advisable in 

 me to learn enough not to buy one for a party of 



