The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-12-19
Purchasing Horses.

Few persons who purchase and Use
horses are able to make IL selection Of an
animal with Il sufficient knowledge Of
what they are buying 1t is rarely that
n horse is bought, except upon faith in
the declarations Of the seller, and hap
hazard sort of dependence upon luck.
The consequence s that man is very
frequently "stuck" in his bargain, and
when he suspects OF discovers it, he
thinks it no harm to put off the beast
upon some other purchaser in the same
way that it was palmel off on him. rs
he all right?" asks the w0uld-bc pur-
chaser. "Well, bought him so, and so
far rs l knoto he is all right" replies the
seller, trying to make believe to his own
conscience that he really klows very little,
although he may think great deal.
Now, 1t is very easy for any person OF
judgment to learn to know when he is
buying a horse whether, the animal is
sound or not. Blemishes spe'k of them
selves, but unsoundness requires q close
inspection and some knowledge for its
detection. The feet are the most usual
From the general careless habit of caring
for horses and the reckless manner in
using them, there is II largo proportion
of them unsornd in the feet. But dis
ease of the feet is easily detected, al
though there may be no apparent lame
ness. An intending purchaser should
have the horse brought out before him,
and watch the animal rs he stands mt
rest. If the owner is continually starting
the horse into motion and urging him t.
"show off" something may be suspected; ;
because it is when the horse is Mt perfect
| rest that his weak points are divnlged.
| If the horse is sound, no, will. stand
| squarely on his limbs, without moving
any of them, the feet being placed iiat
upon the ground, and all the legs plumb
and naturally posed. If one foot is
thrown forward with the toe pointing to
| ground and the heal raised, or if the foot
IL lifted from the ground and the weight
taken from it, disease of the navicular
bone may be suspected, or at least ten
derness, which is precursor of disease.
Ii the foot is thrown out, the toe raised
and the heel brought down, the horse has
suffered from damitis-founder- tho
back sinews have been spraincd, and he
Is of little future value. When the fec.
are ell drawn together beneath the horse,
If there has been no disease, there is a
displacement of the limbs at least, aud
q weak disposition of the muscles. II
! the horse stands with his feet spread
apart, or straddles with the hi 4 legs,
there is weakness of the loins, ,nd the
ridneys are disordered. When the knees
are ben: and the legs totter and tremble,
the beast has been ruined by pulling, and
will never be right again, whatever rest
and treatment he may have. Contracted
or Informed hoofs speak for themselves.
| IT the eyes are Of blush or milky
least, they yvconstitutionally tend to opthal-
! mia aud there will be certain trouble
t=thefe.> If tho, ears are thrown back
! wards, the temper is bad; if they are
tiisown forward. and the horse starts
nervously ut every movement or sound,
he will probably be q sher; and Unsafe
to drive. If the hind legs, are SCARED,
he, has been q kicker ii the knees are
+ sbleinished, he is apt to stumble. If the
skin is rough anu marsh, and does not
move easily and smoothly to the touch,
the horse, is q heavy eater and has poor
dgestioh.s When these peculiarities are
absent, and there is nothing to cause sus-
pieiAn.in auyotlier way, the horse may
be- taken to be all right so far as sound
lcpess1 OF foot, limb and digestive organs
I dTo 05iii5sfne1.. Disease Or ;inPersaction
of the respiratory organs may be discov-
cred by pinching or holding the throat,
by observing the behavior of the horse
when he is speeded, or by placing the ear
at the side OF che chest, when any sound
heard other than clear, resonant one, is
indicative oftrouble.-R Rural NeW Yorker,