Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1881-03-10

you intended to strike. ~ he winks
quickly. or draws the head back. the
vision may he depended on generally as
good. and no blindness in him. The eyes
should be moderately prominent. Sunk
en- eyes are apt to get blind as the horse
grows old and often characterize a vicious
temper. Examine the teeth and see that
they are sound. strongly set. and even.
Look at his fore legs and notice il he has
strong knee joints, and that they are not
sprung. Examine the hind legs careful
ly above and below the hooks for any
swsllings, and especially for curbs and
spavins. Now look at all the pastern
joints and see il clear Of cuts from inter-
terlng, or If there are any SCARS on them
III consequence of this. The pasterns
should be rather short for a carriage
Morse and not much sloping. II the lat
ter and long and elastic. they are apt to
give out at hard pull. In a race.horse
such pasterns are less objectionable. In
heavy draft animal they are unpar-
donable.
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 tbey
will soon wear down ON pavement or hard
roads. and the horse become foot-sore.
II always to be kept in the country to
work on farm or dirt roads. low heel
are not so objectionable; lastly, regard
the inside of the hoofs and see that thew
are free from corns. and that there is a
good sized frog to soften the Jar to the
leg, when the foot stamps the ground.
A pony built horse is the best for work.
ing in harness. while a more rangy-
bodied one. with longer legs may be pre-
ferable 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 strong back and
quarters. If it lifts quite timber and easi-
y, 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 iockies to
call a horse eight when he is all the wav
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 youthful look and vivacity.
After all, there is great risk in buying
a horse, even from an owner who Is
truthful and honestly disposed to speak
of his failings; for in many cases he is
really ignorant of what there are or of
incipient diseases which may be lurking
in the system at the time of sale. As for
the tricks of jockies 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 easi-
ly by one much more skilled than him..
self in showing off horse. 1t is only
after using horse for months that pref
ty much all there is in him can be found
out, and we have known unexpected
faults and vices to turn up after possess
ing one for years.
In the city stables SO many horses are
kept under the same roof, and there is
such want of ventilation that "pink-
eye" and the "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 immed-
lately on its arrival in town, before he
has chance to get diseased, and before
the sellers have time to "slick him up"
Never mind dirty coat and rough looks;
you can clean the former and smoothe
the latter without risk to the animal as
soon as you get home, and after this he
will probable show % per cent better
than when you bought him. One rather
thin in flesh is safer to buy than when
fat, for this covers bad points, and when
worn down somewhat a rather fine-ap-
pearing horse turns out to be very COM
monlooking.