Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1881-02-25
Tricks of Jockeys.

ATlckS OF Jockeys.
A writer for Harper's Weekly has
been having a talk with Mr.. Bishop,
well known horse dealer in New York
city. and the following is a part Of
what the dealer told him:
Tricks? There isn't any end Of
them. If you want to buy horse do
not believe your own brother. Take
no mans word for it. Your eye is
your market. Don't buy a horse IN
harness. Unhitch HING nd take every
thing off but the halter, and lead him
around. If he has corn, or, is stiff,
or has any other failing you can see it.
Eet him 60 by himself little ways,
and if he staves right into anything
you may know he's stone blind. Ne
matter how clear and bright his eyes
are, he can't see any more than a bat.
Back him up too. Some horses show
their weakness or tricks that way if
they don't in any other.
"But be as smart as you can, and
you'll get caughtsometimes. Even an
expert gets stuck. A horse may look
ever so nice, and 60 mile minute,
and yet have fits, for instance. There
isn't live man could tell it till some
thing happens. Or he may have a
weak back. Give him the whip, and
off he goes for a mile or two; then all
Of sudden he sits down in the road.
After rest he gets up and starts "a
fgain, but he soon sits down for good,
and nothing but derrick could raise
him. There are sharpers in New York
who make business of selling such
horses. After the sale they have their
agents slyly follow the buyer and,
when the final breakdown comes, they
step up, and, after expressing their
sympathy for him, buy the horse back
again fer mere song, only to sell him
again at fancy figure to the next
greenhorn who may come along. Even
horse with the heaves may be doc
torea up so you can't tell him.. They
feed him on wet grain for awhile, and
then, when they show off, drive him
so smartly that you can't see there is
anything wrong.
"Do you know what a dummy is!
You don't? Well, I'll tell you. He
is horse that don't know anything.
His brain has gone wrong. A dark
stall and overfeeding have ruined his
digestion, and that has affected his
brain. Drive him out ways, and
pretty soon he will jerk his head
around and pull right straight on one
line. You can't hold him; it'sno
use to try. The first you know he has
dumped you in ditch or smashed
you up against lamp-post. Tie him
in a stable, and he'll back up till he
breaks every halter you put on him.
Stretch rope across the end of the
stall so he can't back ont and he'll
climb up the wall.
"May be you don't believe it, but
i it's so. l have seen one 60 clear up
stairs; and once l saw one 60 out of a
second story window, and another
walk off dock into the river. Watch
him when he's eating, and you'll often
see him 60 to sleep with the feed in
his mouth. He doesn't know he's
Jest fool. l bought one of these
idiots when I was just beginner in
the business. He broke everything
in the stable and then went up the
wall like a lunatic. Afterward one of
the boys that groomed him for the
man l bought him of admitted that
the animal was just l-e-e-tle bit
dumb | can tell one now the minute
see him. He step uncommonly high.
In most cases when you see horse do
that, be sure he is dummy.
Il could talk all day about these
things, only your paper is full now, [
guess, and I'll stop. But don't You
ever bny horse, yound man, unless
you know how to do it."