212 THE HORSE IN AMERICA 



not to consider in buying a horse. Everything else 

 should be looked over carefully, for pretty nearly 

 everything about a horse has more or less im- 

 portance, usually more than less. 



The first thing a prospective purchaser should 

 determine is why he wants a horse, and what he 

 wants to do with him. Then he should decide 

 whether he means to buy the horse on his own 

 judgment or on that of some one else. If he means 

 to be his own judge he should go alone; if he 

 means to have a friend select his horse he should 

 let the friend go alone. But he should never take 

 his friend along with hijn to give advice and assist 

 in driving a bargain. This kind of thing is annoy- 

 ing to a dealer, and tempts him to match his ex- 

 perienced and hard-worked wit with that of the 

 seldom-used judgment of the buyer. That the 

 dealer will win in such a contest goes without say- 

 ing. I have taken for granted that the buyer will 

 go to a dealer for any advice of any kind is wasted 

 upon one who would buy a horse from a friend, 

 unless he coveted his friend's horse and wanted 

 that particular animal from personal knowledge 

 of him. 



