The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-06-20
PURCHASING HORSES.

Few persons who purchase and use
horses are able to make a selection OF
an animal with a sufficient knowledge
Of what they are buying. 1t is the
declarations of the seller, and hap
hazard sort of dependence upon luck.
The consequence is that when man
is very frequently stuck In his oar-
gain, and when he expects or discov-
ers it. he thinks it no harm to put OF /
ne beast upon some other purchaser. |
Well, | bought him so, and so far as !
/ know, he is all right" replies the |
seller, trying to make believe to his |
own conscience that he really knows
very little, although he may think a
great deal.
Now, it is very easy for any person
of judgement to learn TO know, when
he is buying a horse, whether the ami
NAL is sound or not. Blemishes speak
for themselves, but unsonndness re-
quires a close inspection and some
knowledge for its detection. The feet
are the most usual seat of unsOundness
in work horses. From the general
careless habit of caring for horses, and
the reckless manner in using them,
there is a large proportion of them un-
sound in the feet. But disease OF the
feet is easily detected, although there
may be no apparent lameness. An
intending purchaser should have the
horse brought out before him, and
watch the animal as he stands at rest.
If the owner is continually starting
the horse into motion and urging him
to "show off," something may be sus-
pected because it is when the horse
is at perfect rest that his weak points
are divdlged II the horse is sound,
he will stand squarely on his limbs,
without moving any Of them, the feet
being placed fat on the ground, and
all the legs plump and naturally posed
If one foot is thrown forward with the
toe pointing to the ground, and the
heel raised, or if the foot Is lifted from
the ground and the weight taken from
It, disease of the navicular bone may
be suspected or at least tenderness
which is a precursor of disease. If
the foot is thrown out, the toe raised
and the heel brought down, the horse
has suffered from laminitis-founder =
or the back sinews have been sprained
and he is of listle future value. When
the feet are drawn together beneath
the horse, if there has been no disease
there is a displacement of the limbs at
least, and weak disposition of the
muscles. If the horse stands with his
feet spread apart, or straddles with his
hind legs, there is a weakness OF the
lOiIs, and the kidneys are disOrdered.
When the knees are bent and the legs
tOtter and tremble, the beast has been
ruined by heavy pulling and will nevel
be right again, whatever rest and treat
ment he may have. Contracted anC
i'll formed boots speak for themselves
If the eyes are of blush or milky
cast, they constitutionally tend 30 op
thalmia, and there will be certain
trouble there If the ears are throw
backwards, the temper is bad if they
are thrown forward, and the hors
starts nervOusly at every movement o
sound, he will probably be a shier an'
unsafe to drive If the hind legs ar
scared he has been kicker. If tn
skin is rough and harsh, and does no
move easily and smoothly to tn
touch, the horse is a heavy eater ant
has poor digestion. When these pc
culiarities are absent, and there is no
thing to excite suspicion in any wa
the horse may be taken to be all righ
so far as soundness Of foot, limb an
digestive organs are concerned. Di:
ease or imperfection of the IespiratOr
organs may be discovered by pinchin
or holding the throat by observin
the behavior of the horse when he
speede6, or by placing the ear at th
side Of chest, when any sound othe
than a clear, resonant one, is indie;
tive Of trouble.-Rurdl Nelc Yorker.