HORSE DEALERS--WHO THEY ARE, THEIR MODE OF DEALING, THEIR PROFITS,
THEIR MORALITY, AND THEIR SECRETS.
“All horse dealers are rogues!” Such is a common belief, which too
many persons are willing to indorse. The term “horse dealer,” however,
embraces individuals of very adverse and of entirely different
pursuits, each seeking business in opposite spheres; one rarely
meeting the other; but all trading with the animal, though with a very
dissimilar description of horse. Horse “copers” and horse “chaunters”
assuredly buy and sell horses. So far they are entitled to be called
“horse dealers;” but all such characters are unscrupulous rogues.
Most liverymen, and the various people who live in a mews, or write
“job master” after their names, delight in “a deal,” when they can
contemplate a speedy and a safe profit. Carters, cab proprietors,
farmers, and the heads of all commission stables either buy or sell--or
do both occasionally--horses. There is hardly a gentleman in Britain
who, if buying or selling an animal could constitute a dealer in
horses, might not wear the title. The genius which presides over an
auction mart has always a desire to knock down, to himself, any very
cheap lot; while the majority of blacklegs and of men about town can,
generally, inform an inquiring friend of “the very spiciest thing,”
which will “be given away for the merest trifle.”
Of all these cheats, for all are ready to become such upon opportunity,
the bad one, perhaps the least suspected, is no other than gentlemen
who, over a glass of wine, will reluctantly part with a “screw” for
fifty times the value of its carcass. The worst specimen of unmitigated
imposition, having any pretense to fair bargaining, which the author
can call to mind, was thus palmed off upon an unsuspecting friend.
The gentlemen looked fierce and talked loud when expostulated with,
having strong motives for not hearkening to reason. There are always
one or two very pleasant fellows of this stamp, riding after every
pack of hounds. They usually are careful equestrians, very saving
of their steeds, excepting when near to some youthful member of the
hunt; then the rein is slackened and the spur quietly applied. But of
all the impostors who practice with horses, the rankest and the most
indefensible is the scamp who advertises “the property of a gentleman
deceased.” Such a “dodge,” judging by the numbers who adopt it, must
prove a paying pursuit. Yet this form of roguery has been so frequently
exposed, and is apparently so thoroughly known, it becomes difficult to
imagine the spell by which its daily victims are fascinated.
[Illustration: A PEEP INTO A DEALER’S YARD.]
The horse dealers of whom the present chapter pretends to treat belong
to none of these parties. They shun the mews, and each possesses a
private yard, with his name painted above it. These places are always
scrupulously clean. The entrances are ever adorned with a sprinkling
of fresh sand. Facing the gateway is a covered ride, invariably deeply
littered with clean straw. On one side of this ride is a spotless wall,
opposite to which there exists a paved space or broad roadway. On the
farther edge of this paved space stands a sort of cottage, looking as
smart as new paint or whitewash can render it, and adorned with all
kinds of cockney rusticity. Here resides the master,--a person favored
with a goodly presence, and, when waiting for customers, always clothed
in spotless apparel, generally of a sporting character.
This tradesman does not pretend to sell cheap horses. Most ignorant
people, however, hunger after bargains, and out of such desires the
numerous dishonest traders make their market. A really cheap horse is
not to be honestly purchased in London. Those who wish for such an
article, should follow the example of the regular dealer; they should
travel among the northern breeders, or they should visit the far-off
fairs, where such people congregate. If to do this involves too much
trouble, or necessitates too great an expense, then they should be
content to pay those persons who, in the way of business, encounter
both the fatigue and the cost.
[Illustration: THE NIGHT BEFORE THE HORSE FAIR.]
The London visitor to a Yorkshire farm or to a country fair must not,
however, expect that any cash will enable him to pick “the field.”
Liberal as may be his offers, there is an influence which can take
precedence of money. On the farm and at the fair, the London dealers
are expected, and generally have the earliest information when anything
very choice is for sale. Their advent is anticipated at the several
inns which they frequent; their arrivals are bruited about, long before
dealing is supposed to have commenced. All breeders are anxious to
sell to these notorieties. Private views are proffered and accepted;
sales or exchanges are made, and business may be very brisk, days prior
to the fair beginning. In short, too many gentlemen visit the gathering
for amusement. The farmer cannot by outward signs distinguish such
from the would-be purchaser; whereas the dealer always means buying.
This constitutes the purpose of his visit. His time and money are
wasted, if he travels far and makes no purchase. The certainty about
his intentions, as well as the prospect of securing a future customer,
insures him the first offer from all who have colts for sale.
The legitimate horse dealers are, as a body, most honorable and highly
respectable men. They are not all profoundly educated, though there
are among them exceptions even in this respect; but in their business
with mankind, no class is more undervalued; no class is more exposed to
annoyance; and no class can display a finer sense of probity. There is,
perhaps, only one failing that could be justly maintained against the
entire body: that one may not be denied, although it is easily excused.
They are habitual liars! In the way of trade, no horse dealer can speak
the truth concerning any animal he may possess. All such creatures are
without fault, trick, or blemish! The whole stud are spotless pictures!
Each and every one must be perfect!
It cannot be imagined that honest people delight in needless lies.
The violation of a moral obligation can afford no gratification to
an honorable mind; but when a large body of men exemplify any one
particular failing, it may be reasonably concluded that the pressure of
society has induced the deficiency which we, who are removed from the
crowd, must not too severely stigmatize. The public well know that a
faultless horse--one perfect in form and pace--which can do everything
and can carry anything--a creature without a “vice,” and free from
blemish--is a species of sphinx, which the oldest equestrian has never
looked upon. Yet no one ever enters a dealer’s yard, except he be
hunting after this impossible perfection. Were the willing customer met
with candor; were the tradesman to show his stock, and truthfully to
catalogue the defects of each,--who, to reward veracity, would purchase
the confessedly faulty articles? No one! Therefore the public force the
dealer in horses to abjure truth, when they unite and they insist he
shall possess creatures which in this world are known to be positively
unattainable!
Society is clearly answerable for the dealer’s misstatements, since
men will only visit him on certain terms, which declare he shall lie
to live, or he may tell the truth and starve. His customers tacitly
unite to entangle the man in a web of falsehoods; while not one of
these persons, even the most credulous, believes a syllable of the
needless assertions to which they listen. No one accepted a horse as
sound, because the dealer protested it was, “as a roach.” A warranty
would be taken, although the oath of the seller should attest to
perfectibility of the animal. A species of fiction is, consequently,
employed by the class as a business requisite; but the habits of trade
are not transplanted into the transactions of private life. The author
has known trades-people among horse dealers whose characters were as
estimable and whose private words were as trustworthy as those of any
gentleman whose friendship he has the honor to enjoy.
All callings have certain prides or weaknesses in which the community
at large cannot be expected to sympathize. Horse dealers are not
exceptions to this rule. The first qualification for the calling
is the recognition of a good horse,--no matter where or under what
circumstances it may be seen. With the recognition must also exist a
power of correctly fixing the selling price or the marketable value.
Complex calculation must also be instantly solved. The quadruped may
be lean: then must be estimated the time and the money requisite
to promote the selling condition. The animal may be worn out with
unsuitable employment: then must be reckoned the sum which will train
it to a more fitting use. The creature may be a colt, raw, and at a
distance from the dealer’s home: quick as thought, however, must be
ascertained the probable cost of breaking and of conditioning, with the
hazard, etc. attendant upon a long journey. These things must be summed
up at a glance; and, while the brain is engaged, the countenance must
not betray the matter of cogitation.
An ability to do this is the attainment which enables a stout person
to stand the center of a group,--drinking, laughing, and chatting;
nevertheless keeping his mind so steady and his eye so clear to
business as will justify him in purchasing young stock which has only
been once led past him. All horse dealers, however, are not thus
gifted: very many live to repent the hasty judgments on which their
money has been staked; but the ideal, to which all aspire and which not
a few certainly embody, is fairly stated in the above qualifications
necessary for the successful pursuit of the trade.
Not the easiest portion of the business is to form a just estimate
of the taste of the customers; so that when a horse is shown, the
purchaser may ideally behold some patron upon the animal’s back; for
a dealer rarely likes to buy without he can discern his way to the
end of the transaction. “Ah! just Sir William’s stamp!” “Lady Louisa
would give her heart rather than miss that, after having seen it!”
Or, “The very cut for Lord Harry’s hunt!” These, and similar mental
ejaculations, are at once acted upon. The tastes and foibles of
various customers are always estimated. It is astonishing how seldom
comparatively coarse and uneducated judgments err, though all such
calculations may not invariably succeed. The failures, together with
cheap purchases, however, constitute the ordinary stock-in-trade of
most yards.
[Illustration: THE MAN, GRACED WITH THE SWEETEST MANNERS, WHO SELLS THE
HORSES.]
The foregoing qualifications are imperative in first-rate purchasers;
but other accomplishments are also requisite in the perfect dealer.
His manner must be so brusque as to provoke laughter; nevertheless
so apparently simple as not to alarm the most timid customer. This
suggests a nice medium; but it is astonishing how tenderly some
unrefined intellects will embody it. The stout person who, as you enter
the gateway, salutes you with a not altogether ungraceful lift of the
hat, and rings the bell as he approaches to learn your wishes, may be
barely able to read or to write. In a particular line of diplomacy,
however, he is a model worthy study; for, smiling as his face may
be--bland as his manners are--or studied as his dress appears--still,
he is reckoning you up in his own mind; and all the time you are
quizzing him, he is cunningly endeavoring to fathom your intentions and
to form a correct estimate of your character.
Certain members of the trade possess in an extraordinary degree a power
to comprehend the unacknowledged purpose of those individuals whom they
encounter. Without such an accomplishment, no man is fitted to take
charge of the yard; as, unless he be thus qualified, the horses might
be trotted up and down when quiet was needed to rest the bodies or to
lay on flesh.
Gentlemen who do not exactly know their own minds, very rarely become
purchasers; but these uncertainties are seldom tired of seeing the
dealer’s stock run out before them. Were not such individuals to be
recognized, the grooms might be vexed, the master might be fatigued,
and the animals might be plagued,--only to extort a verbal promise “to
look in some other day.” Whereas popular prejudice insists that on the
dealer’s premises all should be smiles--men and horses must appear
overflowing with life--gay and happy; as though the place sheltered no
anxiety, and none within it knew a care.
The regular horse dealer rather avoids than encourages customers
who are called “flats.” He does not object to inexperience, when
it will rely upon his generosity, and confide itself to the more
practical judgment of the tradesman. Such a person, under the dealer’s
guidance, perhaps would be safer than he would be in the hands of most
fashionable friends. But there is always an absence of welcome when a
young gentleman lounges into the yard, who wants something and never
buys anything until he has been thoroughly taken in.
When an individual presents himself to the attendant of the ride, it
is necessary the standing of the new customer should be ascertained
before any quadruped is submitted to his notice. Curious mistakes are
sometimes made; but it is now understood that such a matter must be
decided prior to the commencement of any business. This arrangement
saves time, and also secures other advantages; for, obviously, nothing
could be gained by showing “a park hack” to a city merchant; neither
would much satisfaction be expressed were the animal suited to drag a
spring cart submitted to the notice of some titled turfite. The time
would be wasted, during which a cob worth five hundred pounds was
paraded before a person whose ideas were limited to something under
forty guineas; and the quiet nag, qualified to carry age with safety,
would not be even inspected by a youngster who was impatient to be
mounted upon his first “May bird.”
The phrase last employed--“May bird”--may not be intelligible to
all readers. Therefore the equestrian must pardon the author, if
he here interrupts the course of the present description to explain
its meaning. A “May bird” implies a young animal of no great height,
with some showy points, but with no constitution to stand work. These
quadrupeds are kept, during the spring season, in the stables of most
London dealers; and they are shown to young gentlemen as handsome
saddle horses. The majority, however, soon succumb to work; many yield
as the warm weather increases; and few endure even to a second season.
[Illustration: A MAY BIRD.]
To establish a connection requires that each customer should be better
suited even than pleased. Both are, of course, desirable; but a person
well suited generally becomes well pleased; whereas the individual
whose pleasure is alone consulted, not being suited, is certain to grow
ultimately dissatisfied. Horse dealing, therefore, is attended with
considerable anxiety; yet the members of the calling generally grow fat
upon such a diet. Few, when of middle age, retain a figure fitted for
the saddle, although nearly all have been good and fearless horsemen
during youth. The pursuit, however, is not one of laziness; but often
obliges the endurance of great bodily and mental fatigue.
All dealers travel much. They always attend those large horse fairs
which are held in the north of England. Their business compels them
to make periodical journeys among the distant breeders of stock. When
walking over the breeder’s farm, they often interrupt conversation
to bid for some foal; and may, off-hand, purchase the animal which
shall please their fancy. Business always seems the last subject which
occupies the dealer’s thoughts; nevertheless, he is invariably alive
to the opportunities of trade. Some of the calling will buy unbroken or
very young colts, though such speculations are rather exceptional with
the general body. All, however, will make a conditional bargain for the
“likely thing.” Such transactions are arranged in few words; and though
no writings may be drawn up, these understandings are usually observed
by both parties to the contract.
At the successive horse fairs, a dealer generally occupies the same
station. His back may rest against some rail; and here, surrounded by
an eager group, he appears the most gay of the party. Various young
horses are brought and run before him; for, at the accustomed spot,
the little man is always anticipated. Some horses he buys; others
he rejects. Respectable dealers usually accept their purchases upon
no better security than their personal judgment. They ask for no
written warranty; a verbal assurance that “all is right,” is with them
sufficient. Though should any palpable defect or injury, which has
undergone treatment, be subsequently discovered, of course the bargain
is void.
But low or sharp tradesmen are very particular about written
warranties; consequently they cannot command the choice of the market.
Breeders know perfectly well the dishonest uses to which a written
warranty can be converted. A horse may be sold; but it is not always
got rid of when a written warranty accompanies the sale. It may be
taken to London. Months afterward, the breeder may receive a letter
which shall contain a veterinary surgeon’s certificate of unsoundness,
stating that lameness or “the seeds of disease” must have existed at
the time of purchase. This letter generally concludes with a demand
that the purchase money may be returned, all expenses be paid, and the
animal be fetched away; or, if these conditions are not convenient,
the late purchaser will consent to retain the horse, supposing twenty
pounds of the sum formerly received are forwarded to the address of
“your humble servant.”
Now, to dispatch a man to town, to bring an animal many miles, to risk
the chances of the journey, to return a sum of money which was probably
spent as soon as received, and lastly, to pay for several months of
keep,--are bad conditions. The farmer may be morally convinced that the
report is unfounded; but he has three choices before him: either to
risk an action at law, to expend a considerable sum, or to be swindled
out of a comparatively small amount. Any person can see which of such
terms must be the easiest to a needy man; and the last is generally
accepted. Thus, by a dishonest practice, the unscrupulous dealer
obtains a colt cheap; especially should the subsequent sale prove a
fortunate transaction.
The honest dealer purchases the young animal when fresh from the
breaker’s hands, before a day’s work has been performed, and has the
quadruped led or conveyed to London. If the journey is accomplished by
the road--the stages, of necessity, being short--the expense and hazard
are, of course, equal to the time occupied on the way. The railroad is
a cheaper mode of transport; but it is attended with a certain risk,
which is peculiarly its own. Some young horses will perish from the
fright engendered by the journey; others are made seriously ill by the
novelty of the situation; while many knock themselves about, and arrive
at the journey’s termination seriously blemished.
Several respectable dealers would prefer to have their stock rather
killed outright, than behold it seriously blemished. In one case, the
loss is by no means certain; in the other instance, the pecuniary
sacrifice is small, when compared with the annoyance and the trouble
consequent on the treatment of acute suffering. Besides, all dealers
dislike to have an ailing quadruped on their premises, which they are
desirous should be known only as the abode of happiness and of health.
For such reasons, not a few of the fraternity, when any animal may be
diseased or blemished, invariably dispose of it for whatever it will
fetch, rather than incur the chances of recovery, or open their gates
for the admittance of damaged stock.
A business so conducted--requiring a considerable outlay, necessitating
heavy risks and attended with frequent losses--must be recommended by
certain profits. The costs of every dealer’s establishment are very
serious. Animals--especially very young animals--make no immediate
return. The charge has not terminated when the colts are stabled in the
place of trade. The creatures are then raw and wild. They have to be
gradually brought into selling condition, and have to be fattened till
unfit for work. They also have to be groomed until their coats shine
“like satin.” Such are the obligations of the London market; and though
all animals in this state are dangerously near to disease, yet whoever,
inhabiting the metropolis, should attempt to dispose of horse property
in a more sound condition, will, in the certainty of loss, be heavily
rebuked for his temerity.
Moreover, when fresh from the country, young stock have to be
accustomed to the bustle and noise inseparable from the streets of
London. They have to become familiar with the difference of handling,
voice, and manner, which distinguishes Yorkshire from Middlesex. The
dealer, therefore, has some further employment, after his purchases are
all safe in his stables. He has to rise early, before respectability is
awake to watch his doings, in order to break in his fresh acquisitions.
None but perfectly trained horses are suffered to go out into the
thronged thoroughfares. An animal is often secreted for months before
it is permitted to “show abroad,” and it is then expected, like a
beauty at Almack’s, “to ravish the eyes of all beholders.” Lastly, the
dealer in horses has to endure those checks and disappointments which
attend upon every known speculation with life.
Then, if not sold, the quadrupeds nevertheless must be fed. Thus
several, before they meet a purchaser, “_have eaten their own heads off
twice over_;” or, in the language of ordinary life, have for provender
cost more than their selling value. No reflective man can, therefore,
anticipate a London dealer is to dispose of his stock-in-trade at what
is implied by “reasonable prices.” Some animals may fetch double or
treble the purchase money; but the majority do little beyond paying
their expenses. Nevertheless, as the dealer makes the selection, his
judgment may be taunted, should he not choose horses that shall prove
remunerative.
We shall, however, best judge of the enormous profits attending this
pursuit by considering results, as exemplified in the wealth of
individuals. Perhaps for every man who succeeds in the business, three
persons attempt it and become bankrupts. The fourth man may do a large
trade; and, spite of the fickleness of fashion or the accidents of
the London season, may maintain a position for several years. But how
seldom is society startled by hearing of a deceased horse dealer having
left behind him any vast sum of money to “his heirs and assigns!”
On the other hand, the author knows of many instances where reputed
thriving dealers have refused to rear their children to their own
calling. Such acts do not denote horse dealing to be a highly lucrative
speculation. Judging from long experience, the author would not point
to the dealers of London, as a body, remarkable for the possession of
any considerable amount of property.
Carriage horses no London tradesman professes to keep. Thus one source
of profit is relinquished; but should a pair of extraordinary beauties
be encountered, when “on the travel,” these will be secured; because
the dealer knows there is always a market for such commodities.
The treaty for the transfer of these rarities may even have been
concluded before the prizes reached the marketable age; for, as a rule,
extraordinary quadrupeds are seldom brought into the common market.
It is an ambition with the trade to point to a pair of showy bays in
Her Majesty’s stables, or before the vehicle of an exclusive nobleman,
and to boast “those horses came from his yard.” Of such scarce
opportunities every dealer will joyfully avail himself; but there are
many cogent reasons which prevent him from constantly keeping his
stables supplied with the ordinary kind of carriage quadrupeds.
In the first place, the horses known as Cleveland bays are costly to
purchase and expensive to keep. These creatures soon lose condition,
and almost as rapidly yield to disease. Then, their sale is mostly
confined to the London season. If not disposed of during their third
year, age does not increase their value. Moreover, there are parties
styled “large job masters” who, almost exclusively, trade in this kind
of animal. These persons all keep extensive studs, some of the body
being said to possess more than a thousand horses of this particular
description. Such animals are let out by the year, for amounts varying
from fifty to one hundred and fifty pounds; the latter sum, however,
mostly includes a contract to supply the stables also with food.
Should a quadruped, while thus engaged, be taken ill, the owner
receives back the invalid, and fills its place with a healthy
substitute. If an animal is not approved of, it can always be
exchanged. Thus, for a fixed sum, a carriage is nearly certain to be
well horsed; which, when equine epizootics prevail, cannot be assured,
where even more than the necessary pair are maintained. The gentleman
is consequently spared the fruitless trouble of searching for, and
the great expense of purchasing, those horses which fashion points to
as, _par excellence_, alone fitted to run before a stylish equipage.
The person, however, who lets out the animals does not always provide
the food; very rarely does he pay the cost incurred for shoeing, for
lodging, or for attendance; though, for a proper consideration, he will
contract to provide everything,--even the carriage in which his patrons
shall ride.
The owner of the carriage generally has to find shoes, stables,
and servants, the jobbing being limited to the horses or to their
sustenance. Job masters are generally much more wealthy than dealers,
notwithstanding the feeble character of the Cleveland bays, and the
notorious want of care bestowed by most persons who hire other people’s
property. Such a business evidently requires some tact and a large
capital, to be successfully pursued. It is imperative the job master
should stand especially well with the servants of his patrons. Such a
necessity implies a perpetual drain upon the pocket, as the menial’s
good-will, if desired, must be purchased. Then, there is a large body
of retainers to keep and to trust. The employment of these persons is
to loiter about the different mews; to treat the servants; to coax
information concerning masters’ habits and missuses’ exactions.
Such particulars are essential, that the jobber may know where to place
his animals. Young horses would be battered to pieces in the service of
a lady who likes to be driven fast, pulled up sharp, or who stays “out
late o’ nights.” An elderly person, who never ventures abroad after
dark, and is averse to speed, has the carriage sometimes beautifully
horsed; because such stables are regarded as nurseries, although, more
than occasionally, they are used to coax a sick animal back to health.
Here the jobber’s understanding with the coachman comes into play.
The driver makes repeated complaints of a certain horse. “It nearly
overturned them to-day.” “The servant is certain an accident must
happen.” “He must really leave a kind employer, if that horse is to be
kept.” The job master at length is sent for; of course he is deeply
pained; but, to oblige Lady Everard, he most reluctantly consents to
receive back a vigorous young horse, and agrees to supply its place
with a debilitated cripple, which has but recently left a loose box in
some veterinary establishment.
One hundred and fifty pounds may appear to be a heavy sum to pay
annually for the use of a single pair of horses; but the agreement
is not strictly of this nature. The job master contracts to keep a
carriage horsed for one year, and to feed the animals while so engaged.
To do this properly will, on some years, require the services of four
or five horses. The job master also agrees to take back all sick
quadrupeds, and to pay for all necessary treatment, as well as to
put up with every kind of unavoidable accident. In London, moreover,
all Cleveland bays are expected to possess high action. Such a form
of stepping soon disables the feet; while the bearing-rein speedily
renders the animals “roarers.”
These evils are, generally, confirmed before the advent of the sixth
birthday; thus, few of the quadrupeds live to be discarded,--in
proof of which, Cleveland bays are not to be generally seen upon the
cab rank: very rarely is this favorite of fashion to be encountered
performing any of the lower grades of equine service.
With these creatures the London dealer does not habitually meddle;
neither does he pretend to regularly trade with racing stock, although
it is not unusual to meet in his stables some thorough-bred which was
at its birth entered for the Derby. These bloods, however, are always
“weeds;” or, in plain language, they are quadrupeds which have been
rejected by the trainer as worthless. Their bodies are short, and lack
substance; their chests are narrow; while their long legs are deficient
in bone and in tendon. Their quarters are mean, and their withers low.
One or two of this kind stand in the stalls of most dealers. They
are pretty and graceful, being agile and light; but, when shown to a
customer, they usually stand upon slightly rising ground, which may
“_accidentally_” give to them an extra half hand of height; for such
specimens of horse flesh are all of stunted growth.
Hunters are not, as a rule, to be bought in London; nor does the term,
in strictness, imply any particular breed. Animals in a condition
for the chase must generally be sought in the neighborhood of the
various “meets.” Nevertheless, many a stout horse, which would make
an admirable hunter, is to be often bought of a London dealer. The
handsome nag, the showy brougham horse, the spanking trotter, the
pretty May bird, etc.--in short, all such quadrupeds as ladies admire,
and as gentlemen love to exhibit during “the season,” may be met with
in every regularly appointed yard.
[Illustration: A WEED.]
When before a dealer, if the gentleman is no judge of a horse, or
has no confidence in his own opinion, he should not attempt to be
thought wise on such subjects. The salesman may not stare at the
purchaser; indeed, the trader may appear impressed with an overwhelming
idea of the customer’s importance, as he humbly asks a question and
submissively waits a reply. But, long before the first animal has been
run out, he will accurately have taken the measurement of his patron.
The man will know the limits of his visitor’s equestrian attainments as
perfectly as though they had been companions from the hour of birth.
Never demand a warranty. Such things are only temptations to take
proceedings. They may influence a jury; but the plaintiff, frequently,
only recovers a loss. The verdict is often unjustly given against a
dealer whom a gentleman drags into court; but private or extra costs
generally consume more than the money which marks the difference
between a legally sound and a tolerably serviceable quadruped. All
dealers are not, in attorney’s phraseology, “worth powder and shot.”
Rumors about law may render the tradesman’s creditors pressing; while
the certainty of loss may induce a man to be somewhat careless in his
expenditure. Should failure anticipate the trial, the plaintiff will
have to pay his own expenses; for, under such circumstances, a verdict
is simply so many recorded words, awarding nothing!
Nor is the seller always to blame. All dealers are not positive judges
of soundness. Moreover, soundness is often variable. An animal may be
sound in the morning, unsound at noon, and sound again at night. Life
is fixed to no one condition. A man may be well when he rises, he may
be distraught before mid-day, and nevertheless may be quite hearty
at eve. Horses are subject to temporary influences, like those which
affect their masters. But society will regard horses and saucepans only
as articles of use. A wide difference divides the animate from the
inanimate; but, notwithstanding the advance of education, mankind have
yet to observe in their behavior those broad distinctions which nature
has instituted throughout creation.
[Illustration: “ANY GENTLEMAN AS REALLY WANTED A SOUND AND SERVICEABLE
BROUGHAM HORSE, I----”
“WELL! YOU MAY SEND HIM TO FIELD’S--AND GET HIM EXAMINED.”]
It is the safer and the better plan for a gentleman not to bother about
soundness. To keep his ideas fixed upon the horses only to discover
whether these are equal to his desires. He sees a horse run up and
down the ride; observes its manner of going; notes its make, shape, and
height; remarks its color; ascertains the price, and roughly estimates
its qualities. But he had better not finger the animal, or attempt to
investigate matters which concern more than his personal approval.
Having seen these things, when the dealer begins to talk, he had better
turn upon his heel, and do no more than order the quadruped to be taken
to the veterinary surgeon who may be honored with his confidence.
The horse dealer generally feels his opportunity has opened when the
gentleman meddles with matters which he does not fully comprehend; and
very few gentlemen are qualified to act as veterinary surgeons. By
adhering to the above plan, the purchaser is the more likely to please
himself by his selection, and is certainly less likely to be imposed
upon. The attention is steadily fixed upon the individual points of
recommendation, and the mind refuses to enter upon scientific questions
concerning which the non-professional man cannot be instructed.
The examination being passed, before the money is paid the quadruped
is either saddled or harnessed, and is tried by the contemplating
purchaser. When mounted upon or when sitting behind a strange horse,
no person should indulge any attempt at display. The object being
to ascertain the acquirements of the steed, the rider should allow
free scope to its humors, and should encourage its confidence. Employ
neither whip nor spur. Reject such articles, if they are offered. A
good animal will necessitate no coercion; but severity may, possibly,
disguise either good or bad qualities. Should chastisement be
imperative, refuse to administer it; but reject a sluggish animal.
Allow the reins to be almost loose: let the creature go its own pace,
and take its own road: watch every movement, however, and carry
the bridle hand ready to check or to support, should either become
necessary.
A lively and desirable nag should answer to the voice. Often the
intention will be comprehended, when no sound is uttered. There is
a speedy and mysterious freemasonry soon established between an
intelligent nag and a proficient equestrian. This, it is desirable,
should be developed. When the rider or driver is seated, he should
reject all further service from the groom. Permit the horse to walk,
trot, canter, gallop or bolt out of the yard: should it go quietly,
watch its head and ears as it passes through the gateway. Many young
quadrupeds will be alarmed during such a passage; some will evince
their feeling by very demonstrative behavior. Therefore, allow no man
to hold the rein, and, under a pretense of attention to the gentleman,
give confidence to the nag, now controlled by a strange master.
Should the first trial not answer expectation, the treaty ought not
therefore to be abruptly broken off. Many a promising and a valuable
horse is thus cast upon the dealer’s hands, the estimable qualities
of which a little patience would have made apparent. But a good horse
may require to be educated, before it will carry a certain master as
he desires; this reason forms an almost unsurmountable objection to
any conclusion being just, which is based upon a solitary trial. Most
dealers, if they know the animal should suit, will grant a fortnight’s
further acquaintance, before the bargain is concluded. The terms
generally are, that if the sale is broken off, then the gentleman pays
for the services he has engrossed: should the treaty be ratified, then
the purchase money covers all demands, the purchaser paying only for
the provender consumed during his period of hesitation.
In every horse transaction, treat the tradesman with consideration.
Many gentlemen, when speaking to a dealer, assume a familiarity
which is an impertinent, and not unseldom proves to be an expensive,
affectation. Others adopt a superciliousness which is very offensive
and rather dangerous; for, while the customer is supporting a foreign
behavior, the dealer may be humoring the whim, and covertly flattering,
though watching his opportunity for revenge. Above all things never
lose your temper, or by your language violate the rules of decency;
as, by so doing, you descend to a level where you are certain to be
mastered. These cautions must be observed during personal intercourse.
With respect to the rest. Avoid lawyers. This is the more easily done,
if the few directions here laid down are rigidly adopted.
Dealers are, generally, very accommodating in their trade transactions.
They will do anything, excepting return money; a condition with which
most of them are not able to comply. They will take back an animal
which does not suit. They will allow the dissatisfied gentleman to
walk through their stables, and to choose another horse, on the terms
that the choosing party pays the difference of price between the nag
which has been sent back and the steed which is afterward preferred. To
be sure, such exchanges are apt to prove costly, and, generally, are
prosecuted very much to the dealer’s advantage. Therefore, a gentleman
has reason for suppressing his discontent; and may do well to endure,
a little longer, the quadruped which originally pleased him, and which
may turn out an estimable acquaintance after the first qualms of early
proprietorship have subsided.
If dealers have an aversion, it is to be bothered by the visit of a
“greenhorn,” who does not know exactly what he wants. Consequently
everybody, before entering the premises, should ascertain his desires.
He must not request “to see an animal fit to run in a gig, but which
can carry saddle occasionally.” He should not inquire for “a nag which
he or his sister can ride.” He must ask to behold a horse fit only
for one purpose. If to be ridden, the weight of the rider should be
stated, and the age of the equestrian is likewise desirable, as well as
the habits--that is, whether the gentleman is old or is young, is used
to the saddle, or is about to take horse exercise for the first time,
under medical advice. These things are necessary, that the dealer may
judge of the strength, the spirit, and the temper which will answer a
purchaser’s expectation.
So also when a brougham horse is wanted, the weight of the vehicle
should be given. If a harness horse is sought, it ought to be
named, with the kind of conveyance the animal is required to pull.
If a carriage needs a quadruped, other than a Cleveland bay, every
particular should be detailed, the dealer being also asked to step
round and to look at the creature which it is desired to match. Nothing
is better calculated to win a dealer’s respect than to have such points
ready; for, though these may give some trouble to the novice, they
occur as matters of course to the practiced proprietor. Moreover, such
particulars save much vexation, and prevent the horses being needlessly
disturbed--an occurrence which invariably annoys the best-tempered of
tradesmen.
When you enter a yard, never request to see “the horses.” Such a
demand is a lamentable confession. Ask to speak with the proprietor or
with the salesman. State what you wish to obtain. Be precise, even to
particulars; and inquire if there is such an animal among the stock.
The reply most probably will be negative. Then ask if the person you
are addressing knows of such a creature, and could procure you an
inspection. Very likely an appointment for some future day will be
embodied in the reply given to the last interrogatory. Then you must
retire immediately, and patiently wait the promised opportunity.
Never be in a hurry, or exhibit any impatience, in the yard of a
dealer. Take everything coolly, and act as though it were far from your
desire to look at horses or to walk through stables. Greenhorns are
always greedy concerning such particulars. Consult the master; rather
confide in his judgment and trust to his activity, than display any
forwardness to encounter personal responsibility and to undergo bodily
fatigue. Horses are numerous, and dealers are always eager to effect a
sale; therefore be quiet and rather reserved, being conscious that, to
procure the animal which shall exactly suit in every particular, cannot
be a very ready, a very easy, or a very speedy affair.
When buying, always, in regard to strength, purchase a horse rather
above than in any degree below the purpose you have in view; or, in
other words, obtain an animal apparently too strong, in preference to
a little too weak or just strong enough, for the work it is wanted to
perform. Do this, because strength denotes value when labor has to
be executed; and most men are cruel judges, where the exertions of
another’s life are concerned.
Always enter a dealer’s yard prepared to pay for that which you seek;
for, in horses, the cheap is, to the general public, the worthless.
Bone and muscle, united to spirit and activity, will always bring their
value, and are the cheaper, because they will endure longer than a
dozen of those lanky and misshapen substitutes which are disgracefully
overweighted in the majority of genteel broughams which traverse the
streets of London.
However, pay what he may, no unknown individual, walking into a
dealer’s yard, should expect to have the positive choice of _all_ the
trader’s stock. Anything _very_ good is never offered to a stranger,
who can boast of no better recommendation than his banker’s account.
In country meetings, at fairs, and at public sales, the highest bidder
has a better chance, though at these places the market is commonly
forestalled; but the dealer knows by experience how difficult it is to
procure a prime piece of horse flesh. When he gets such a treasure into
his hands, the feelings of his class will not allow him to throw away
his good fortune. A fair equivalent or a heavy price can be everywhere
obtained; but the one chance of years--the beauty which is rarely seen
and scarcely to be purchased--is always regarded as something out of
the sphere of regular business. The dealer hoards such a treasure,
and hopes to behold it where, for a number of years, it will remain
an honor to his judgment, and a living proof that its late master has
dealings with the most exalted of England’s aristocracy!
In this country, a good horse will always fetch its value, and that
price includes something more than money. This is the reason why plain
Mr. Smith, who is known to pay the highest prices, never can exhibit a
vehicle so well horsed as are Her Majesty’s carriages. The gentleman’s
animals even do not shine forth, when compared with those possessed by
some fashionable but notoriously poor scion of nobility. The feelings
of the dealers are opposed to Mr. Smith’s ambition; notwithstanding
treble his money were expended, he could not be gratified by commanding
the excellence which his superiors may purchase _tolerably_ cheap.
There is, however, in London too much eagerness to possess a
well-furnished stable, for a really fine animal ever to be cast upon
the open market. The tradesman, when he sees a prime quadruped, buys it
always with a mental determination as to the person best qualified to
be the future proprietor. The differences between the sums paid will
not, therefore, fully account for the noble creatures which inhabit the
stables of my lord, and the respectable lot which consume moneyed Mr.
Smith’s corn.
The existence of such an influence will no doubt be denied by most
established dealers, as it will assuredly be abjured by all the outside
members of the fraternity. The struggling tradesman is, however, not
likely to be tempted by such a possession. A Yorkshire breeder watches
his stock from the day of birth. No sooner does the practiced eye
notice the promise of extraordinary worth, than the most liberal of
London purchasers is invited to travel northward and to consider its
probable value. Any trade connected with horses must therefore be of
a speculative character; and a fine foal is sometimes partly paid for
before the first year has been attained. A kind of deposit is made, to
secure the offer of the animal when fit for the market--the money being
lost should the purchase not be completed, but the sum being deducted
from the price should the dealer agree to perfect the transaction.
Thus the principal traders incur great risks, and in return secure
a legitimate power of selection, prior to the opening of the public
market.
[Illustration: UNCLOTHING THE BEAUTY.]
When a promising colt approaches the period of publicity, the greatest
possible care is devoted to its developments and to its education. It
is not exposed to the common gaze. No Eastern slave merchant regards
with greater jealousy the flower of his female flock than does the
London dealer survey what he believes will, in his sphere, prove “the
prize of the season.” The door of its stable is constantly locked. All
its requirements are profusely supplied. It is never taken abroad,
save when fully clothed and closely hooded. Only before the earliest
hour of business or after the gates have been shut upon the bustle of
the day does the dealer feast his eyes upon the bare perfections of
his treasured possession. The ceremony of unveiling is then slowly
performed, and every particular is minutely examined, lest unforeseen
accident should have interfered with the realization of equine
loveliness.
The pursuits of the dealer, therefore, are not without excitement, are
not devoid of care, nor free from trouble. His stock-in-trade is very
perishable, and is peculiarly exposed to deterioration. But most of
these people seem to fatten on anxieties. They generally are a heavy,
a happy-looking, and a corpulent race; but, like all people who engage
in a business which admits of no standard of excellence but success,
the established dealer in horses has an overwhelming notion of his own
abilities. This is the weak point in his general character. Science is
ridiculed, and the results of experience are despised, when either are
opposed to the personal opinion of _the yard_. Consequently, few of the
calling consult a veterinary surgeon. In the mysteries of disease and
in the properties of medicine they acknowledge no superior; for the
owner, commonly, is the possessor of secret nostrums which he esteems
to be of marvelous efficacy.
After the gates have excluded the confusion of the street, the dealer
usually walks through his stables, attended by his head groom. Then
frequently such orders as the following are issued: “Jim! Get a
cordial; this young thing is scouring!” “Jim! Let Bartley’s bay have a
warm mash, and shake an alterative into it.” “Jim! Mind me to-morrow,
that Clement’s chestnut wants blooding--the legs are filling.” “A pinch
of diuretic would do no harm here. Jim! Break me half a one from the
locker!” “Jim! Somehow, this brown youngster don’t mend kindly. It must
be some flying humors;--prepare him for physic.” “As for Blossom, I’m
tired of seeing her. She has eaten her head twice over! Well! well!
Jim. Well, give her a condition ball; and perhaps some greenhorn may
fancy her to-morrow.”
To dabble with danger is the last madness of conceit. Persons thus
imprudent will not bear to be carelessly approached or slightingly
addressed. Such an infirmity is soon provoked to impertinence. The
reader, therefore, will be only rendered more safe, who observes every
recognized form of courtesy when treating with the dealer. This is
best done by avoiding that silly familiarity which must be insulting
to the sensible man, but which the knave likes, because it affords
opportunities for his practices. Let the gentleman keep his proper
station, and the dealer, without being offended, will observe his.
But, before the yard is entered, above all things it is imperative to
ascertain what is desired, as neither civility nor compliance will
be elicited by a general request for “a horse.” When the animals are
being shown, let the contemplating purchaser be silent. He must not
allow any false notion of his equestrian knowledge to betray him into
a discussion or expose him to designing compliments. Keep the head
cool and the attention clear. Do not finger the animal. Decline all
invitations to feel the condition of its legs. Undervalue your own
accomplishments, by professing not to comprehend such things; and leave
the premises with the understanding that the horse is to pass the
examination of some veterinary surgeon of repute.
The dealer will not submit the quadruped of known unsoundness to
such a test; because, in case of rejection, the property is not only
deteriorated, but the owner has to pay for the process which casts a
taint upon his stables: whereas, should the examination be passed, the
purchaser takes the nag and pays for the certificate which assures
him of its value. These things being done, before the bargain is
concluded always specify for a trial, which can alone inform the future
master of matters most essential to his personal pleasure, but which
no veterinary inspection could discover. It is prudent to attend to
these particulars; and it is folly to imagine a warranty can shelter
the person who knowingly disregards the security which these alone can
afford.
The customer is thus fenced in or protected on _all_ sides. The conduct
of the dealer should declare the personal opinion of the man who is
best acquainted with the animal. The professional judgment, being
deliberately pronounced and duly certified, guards the points where a
gentleman’s knowledge may be deficient; while the trial permits the
individual to ascertain such traits as mouth, temper, habits, step,
spirit and mode of going. After such qualities are approved, the horse
may be safely accepted; and no warranty can be necessary, if the above
directions are observed.