RIDING ENTERING FOR A RACE. 151 



thing is so favourable. I never wish to hear a horse 

 of mine praised, unless on the day of sale. If a man 

 tells you the neck is too thick, say yes, and the nos- 

 tril is a little too closed : if he declares the quarter to 

 be short, say yes, and rather wanting muscle ; and, 

 for every point he complains of, you name another. 

 By good management, neither too acquiescing nor 

 too differing, you may turn to good account a queru- 

 lous visitor of this kind, and lighten him of a gold 

 mohur for each of his mistaken notions. These first- 

 sight, guess-work observations, half to three parts 

 wrong on an average, are frequently changed by the 

 utterers themselves in a week, and although your stud 

 may not be perfection, yet, as ah 1 must be judged by 

 comparison, it is not improbable that his and many 

 others are much worse ; consequently, instead of be- 

 ing discomfited, always give plenty of encourage- 

 ment to whoever intrudes his critical remarks, strictly 

 coinciding in their general correctness ; and when the 

 first pause occurs, ask, (if you know your horse,) 

 what odds he will give against the ill-proportioned 

 one ? tf he takes the bet kindly, do not be in a 

 hurry ; wait a day or two, then offer to double it : in 

 this way you turn the tables on him genteelly. 

 Every person has a right to look at your horse going 

 his rounds, and also at rubbing down. afterwards, 

 when done on the public course. A bystander can 

 never dive into the real state of his condition by a 

 few minutes 7 superficial glance at the external ap- 

 pearance ; it is more likely to puzzle and mislead, 

 so rather court than avoid inspection here. Your 

 " dark" horse will not grow lighter by this little 

 piece of complaisance ; but if ever you admit either 

 stranger, acquaintance, or friend inside his stable for 



