“If the lying were stopped by law, the business of horse trading would come to an end . . .”

This quote was lifted from an Opinion piece appearing in the New York Times more than a century ago. The article dealt with inflated circulation figures for newspapers and had nothing to do with horse sales, but it reflected the public perception of horse traders as shady characters. The writer might have overstated things a bit, but the world of buying and selling horses always has enjoyed a reputation as a playground for wheelers and dealers. For some buyers and sellers, this peculiar facet of the game is part of the appeal. Many others, though, demand more protection than the shopworn advice “buyer beware