We will acknowledge that if he does so, he may probably get his
desideratum; but do not let him make too sure of this. There are such
things as four-year olds, unsound, as well as worked. But, supposing him
to have got this sound animal; what has he got? An animal that he has to
run the risk of making useful, so far as teaching him his business goes;
and by the time this is effectually done, and the colt has arrived at a
serviceable age, he will probably be quite as unsound as many of those
he has rejected; independent of which, and supposing him to continue
sound, the breeder of this horse must have better luck or better
judgment in breeding than his neighbors, if more than one in five or six
that he does breed turn out desirable horses in every respect. If he
turns out but a middling sort of beast, it is but small satisfaction to
know that he is sound; in fact, so little satisfaction should we feel,
that, if we were compelled to keep and use him, so far from rejoicing
that he was sound, we should only regret that he was not dead.
In relations to the doings of dealers in horses, it is not our present
object to expose the tricks of the trade, or to prejudice the
unsophisticated buyer against all horse dealers.
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