St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1880-06-12
How To Buy a Horse.

LOOK at him standing quietly III his
stable, to see he has no trick like that OF
putting one hind foot over the other.
In doing this he often cuts the fore part
of his hind foot with the sharp calks of
his shoe, thus making him lame perhaps
for months. When brought out do not
allow him to be jockeyed in his PAGES.
Take your stand on one side of the road
and let him walk naturally and quietly
by, then turn and walk by, showing his
other side. Now stand behind and have
him walk off in front of you and from
you; then turn and walk toward you.
Observe if he goes freely and easily and
plants his hind feet in the tracks of his
fore feet. Next, have him trotted by
you, and back and forth, watching his
action closely.
Now look at his eyes and make mo-
ton with your hand toward them, as if
you intended to strike. If he winks
quickly, or draws the head back, the
vision may be depended on generally as
good, and no blindness in him. The
eyes should be moderately prominent.
Sunken eyes are apt to get blind as the
horse grows old and often characterize
vicious temper. Examine the teeth
and see that they are sound, strongly
set and even. Look at his fore legs and
notice if he has strong knee joints, and
that they are not sprung. Examine the
hind legs closely above and below the
hooks for any swellings, and especially
for curbs and spavins. Now look at all
the pastern joints and see if clear of cuts
from interfering, or if there are any
scars on them in consequence of this.
The pasterns should be rather short for
Il carriage-horse, and not much sloping.
If the latter, and long and elastic, they
are apt to give out at hard pull. In a
race-horse such pasterns are less OBJ
iectionable. In heavy draft animal
they are objectionable.
The feet are often passed over, but a
thorough examination of these is of the
utmost Importance. They should be
reasonably large, the hoofs clear and
tough, free from cracks, not shelly, and
well set up at the heels, otherwise they
will soon wear down ON pavements or
hard roads, and the holse becomes foot
sore. Ii always to be kept in the coun-
try to work on farm Or dirt roods low
heels are not so objectionable; lastly,
regard the inside of the hoofs and see
that they are free from corns, and that
there is a good-sized frog to soften the
jar to the leg when the foot stamps on
the ground.
A pony-built horse is the best for
working in harness, while more rangy-
bodied one, with longer legs may be
preferable for the saddle, but these
should not be SO long as to be liable to
weakness. The legs, from the hooks
and knees down, in all horses should be
rather short than long.
If the tail lifts hard and stiff it is usu-
ally an evidence of a strong back and
quarters. If it lifts quite timber and
easily the reverse is apt to be the case.
AS to the age this is readily told by
the teeth till seven years old, unless
they are "bishoped." 1t is usual for
jockeys to call horse eight when he is
all the way from ten to twenty; but an
adept can give pretty shrewd guess
as to this, for after ten years old the
eyes begin to sink, gray hairs come into
the head, and there is want of youth
full look and vivacity.
After all, there is great risk in buy
ing horse, even from an owner WHO'S
truthful and honestly disposed to speak
of his failings; for in many cases he is
really ignorant of what these are or of
incipient diseases which may be lurking
in the system at the time of sale. As
for the tricks of jockeys in hiding the
age, faults, and covering up diseases,
they are past finding out, and when they
trade with each other even, the very
smartest and most knowing one gets
cheated easily by one much more skill
full than himself in showing off horse.
1t is only after using horse for months
that pretty much all that there is in him
can be found out, and we have known
unexpected faults and vices to turn up
after possessing one for years.
In the city stables so many horses are
kept under the same roof. and there is
such want Of proper ventilation that
'.pink eye' and the g horse distemper''
are often prevalent there, or if not
shown at the time of purchase, these
break out soon after. 1t is safest to buy
horse immediately upon his arrival in
town, before he has chance to get dis
eased, and before the sellers have time