114 HINTS ON PURCHASING, 
moderate performer, indifferently bred, would be worth sound, 
the difference in value between the two varying in instances 
from £100 to £1,000. 
If a private trial be given, the result should mainly deter- 
mine the animal's worth. Yet there are other things besides 
those already mentioned that should not be omitted froin the 
calculation—the animal’s engagements, and the probability of 
his winning the whole or a fair portion of them; and the state 
of his legs in reference to their capability to stand many pre- 
parations. A horse that has shown form at two years old, and 
lost it at three without apparent cause, may be of very much 
more value than one that can win small races at the later age. 
For in the latter case no improvement could be looked for ; 
but in the former a return to the two-year-old form may be 
expected, and your hopes realised in a valuable purchase. 
Mares, it should be remembered, often run better at the back 
end than in the spring of the year. We have had many ex- 
traordinary instances of this, particularly with the three-year- 
olds, at York and Doncaster in August and September. The 
best months in which to buy three-year-olds that have lost 
their form, are June, July, and August, with the hope of their 
returning to it in the autumn. For general purposes I should 
always prefer a small horse to a large one—one that stood 
well on his legs, having moderately-sized feet, in preference to 
large ones. But no one is judge enough to decide whether 
this or the other horse's legs will stand one preparation, and 
much less, many. Yet this fact should not deter the exercise 
of our judgment in the selection of those which seem most 
likely to do so. 
On this point I will give a few illustrations to show that legs 
which have appeared the best have gone first, whilst those 
which have looked the worst have stood longest. The case 
