The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-09-22
Tsumers Of HOrse-Dealins.


Humors Of HOrse-Deaiins.
lLondon Saturday Reyie~.l
It might be supposed that knowledge
OF horse. flesh would be the most necessary
qualification of q householder. but an eini !,
nent dealer lately assured us that ne louuu
that nm intimate knowledge Of human ma
fnre far more essential. 1t is easier to hnd
n horse for purchaser than purchaser Tor
a horse. 1t is not an uncommon thing TO
hear grooms speaking Of the party WHICH
belongs to the bay or brown horse,' and
there Is more force in the expression than
might be supposed. The man who has
bouebt horse which he is afraid TO ride
lest he should fall off, afraid not to ride lest
he should be thought coward, and AFRAID
20 sell lest be should bet loser, is literally
the slave and not the master OF the peast.
1t Is he that belongs to the horse and not
the horse that belongs to him.
During the next three months many VISITS
will be paid 10 horse. dealers establishments
with a view to the approaching hunting
season. Now, dealer has stock OF horses
in his Yards of various dispositions and
afflicted with variety Of infirmties, and
his business is to find customer for every
one OF them. Like the clerical tailor who
told q young curate that in certain coat ne
would be able to hold any views he pleased,
n horse-dealer generally hes ono or TWO
horses that would suit any rider; but these
are kept as a last resource. The dealers
principle is that every man and every morse
has bis peculiaritieS, and that horses anu
men must be sorted and allotted according
". Not only does he try to ut particular
men to particular horses, but be also varies
his treatment Of customers according
to their different dispositions. Ii a
nervous man comes to him and desires TO
buy nice, quiet hunter he takes him to MS
farm. Two or three steady horses are
brought thither and the timid purchaser
given free permission to try them over any
fence he pleases. He may "break all their
neckS and all their backs - If be likes. Com
forted by this suggestion, he perhaps rides
them nervously over two or three gaps.
Mild as is the ordeal, be has had what il
Technically known as liberal trial." and
be cannot afterward complain ii the horses
turn out utterly worthless as hunters. Ii be
refuses to clark" the horses himself, and
requests that one OF the men may do it in
stead, the dealer is even better pleased. A
lad is in readiness whose special business it
is to attend 10 this duty. In bis hands the
horses go over the fences like machines.
AS the dealer himself expresses it. the man
ners Of all are perfection.' At last the
boy mounts venerable screw, and, throw
ing the reins loosely on its neck, he puts his
hands in his pockets and rides over small
fence. With some practice this is not by
any means an impossible feat on quiet
horse, and it has an immense influence upon
1 he tim;d customer. Here, be thinks, Is
evidently paragon OF virtue, a horse with
whom be will be able 10 "live happily for
ever AFTER" and lie anxiously purchases
him ut the full price OF equine perfection:
He could not have had fairer trial, ana
he asks for no conditions. Can ne
afterward grumble when the morse IS
lame three fourths OF its tlme' re-
fuses to jump water, proves dangerous u.
timber, and drops its hind legs INTO pllnu
bitches The dealers method OF pfoceeo-
ing with strong, hard-riding customer Is
quite different. He makes no suggestions
about going to the farm with hlm. Inc
horses are only shown in vailed pauooch'
They are good-looking and unquestlonabiy
sound. and thew are galloped round and
round the paddock to demonstrate the excel
Hence of their wind. The purchaser is much
COMMUNICATED upon his reputation as q morse
man. and the dealer declares that is absolute.
Nv necessary 10 supply so hard a rider Will
horses which are rot only perfectly seHn q,
1ut also exceptionally strong and hardy in
constitution. The customer finally buys
three very good-lookias horses, with
GREAT bone and power combined with
nlenty OF breeding. 1t turns out thai
they are all as sound as horses ever arc, blrt
one is terrific puller, with one-sided
mouth and tendency to swerye at ibis
fences. Another is confirmed refuser,
and the third, although IA unexceptioaa-
bic hunter, Is an incurabie kicker at both
hounds aud horses. It is impossible to
have pleasant day's hunting on either Of
them, but when the purchaser complains to
the Yender he is asked whether his nerve
is quite as good as it used to be, and whether
the dealer shall ask certain 90 hard-riding
gentleman down with the Vale OF White
Horse, who would be able to make them 60,
II be would like to purchase them.o Feel
ing his honor to be as stake, the unhappy
owner OF the brutes processes himself salts
fed with them and endures bis misery as
best be may.
Like other people, horse-dealers oeca-
sionally make mistakes. Sometimes, for
instance, dealer becomes the p0ssessor Of
n fine-l0oking ANIMAL purchased for Q
weight.carrying hunter, but utterly I'M
qualified to fulfill such function, and an
iNSlHtChs IOd1 Ck ihlO lAC -UdiAdlUs UDOU
what human being could the dealer infliet |
such a brute without risk Of losing all
reputation OF responsibility Happily he
knows. There is an elderly spinster OF
large fortune. but Indifferent health, who
goes Tor the same drive every aft ernoon at
sedate pace In stRify brougham. She.
might have been specially created for the
horse, and, when she has purchased him,
horse aud mistress give each other mutual
The very gentle exercise !
which she requires gives the horse an appe- |
lite without iatiguing him.. The old lady, the /
horse, and the dealer are all pleased, and the
whole affair turns ont an exceptionally
agreeable instance OF successful horse deal
Ing. AS rule, however, dealers are not
very fond Of female cnstomera. The latteg.t
expect perfection, and fancy that they have
been cheated unless they get it. They buyl
very readily, btt they want to return their
purchases Ia two or three days; and, I'M.