INTRODUCTION. xlv 



as merely to take a person's own warranty that he is 

 sound in health and constitution, and so be put to the 

 proof, in case of his death, that he was not so at the time 

 he gave the warranty. 



The best rule for a man therefore to follow in selling When to give 

 a horse is this : Where the horse is of no great value, ^ ^^^i^^ty- 

 to refuse a warranty altogether, and such a horse is best 

 sold by auction. Where the horse is of great value, if 

 sound, but that appears doubtful, then to let the pur- 

 chaser be satisfied by a veterinary examination, and so 

 take the responsibility upon himself. Where, however, 

 the seller is confident that the horse is perfectly sound, 

 and that with a warranty he would fetch a much larger 

 price than without one, he should have him examined 

 and certified as sound, &c., by one or two veterinary 

 surgeons of respectability and experience, and then, know- 

 ing on what ground he goes, he may take the risk of 

 warranting him sound. 



The vexation and difficulty experienced in horse-dealing The cause of 

 arises, in a great measure, from the loose manner in which 'l™<='i'*y J?" ^ 

 such transactions are conducted, and from the thought- 

 less manner in which people give warranties ; and we 

 generally find that the smaller a man's knowledge may 

 be with regard to horses, the more ready he is to war- 

 rant, little knowing the responsibility he is thus fixing upon 

 himself. 



A dealer, who from the nature of his business must be The cause of 

 constantly buying and selling horses, has an evident horse-dLun"-. 

 advantage over the persons with whom he deals, who 

 probably do not buy or sell horses half a dozen times in 

 a year, and very few of whom can form a reasonable 

 opinion as to a horse's value. But the dealer, to say 

 the least, is a pretty good judge, and, being well ac- 

 quainted with the routine of his business, may, generally, 

 go on in as satisfactory and reputable a manner as any 

 other tradesman, so long as he keeps honest. The fre- 

 quent rascality in horsedealing transactions arises from 

 parties making improper use of that superior knowledge 



