Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-08-19

If a colt is never allowed to get an advan-
tage says writer in the Lancaster Farmer,
it will never know it possesses power that
man cannot control and if made familiar
with strange objects, it will not be skittish
and nervous. II horse is made accustomed,
from his early days, to have objects hit him
on the heels, back and hips, he will pay no
attention to the giving out of harness, or of
wagons running against him at an unexpected
moment. We once saw an aged lady drive
high spirited horse attached to a. carriage,
down steep hill. with no holdback straps
upon the harness, and she assured us there
was no danger, for her son accustomed his
horses to all kinds of usage and sights, that
commonly drive animals into frenzy of fear
and fright. A gun can be fired from in front
of horse An umbrella held over his head,
a buffalo robe thrown over his neck rail
road engine pass close by, his heels be
thumped with sticks, and the animal take it
all as a natural condition of things, If only
taught by careful management that he will
not be injured thereby.
The following rules for judging of horse,
says the Turf, Field and Farm, will be found
useful:
/. Mover take the sellers word if dis
honest he will be certain to cheat you if dis
posed to be fair, he may have been the dupe
of another, and will deceive you through rep
reservations which cannot be relied upon.
9. Never trust to a horses mouth as a sure
index to his age.
3. Never buy q horse while in motion !;
watch him while he stands at rest and you
will discover his weak points. If sound, he
will stand firmly and squarely on his limbs,
without moving any of them, the feet plant
ed fiat upon the ground, with legs plumb and
naturally poised. If one foot is thrown for
h. 80. ,,o,,, N, tl,a I'D
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 sus-
pected or at least tenderness, which is a pre-
cursor of disease. IL the foot is thrown out,
the toes raised, and the heel brought down,
the horse has suffered from lammitis, founder,
| or the back sinews have been sprained, and
he is of little future value. When the feet
are all drawn together beneath the horse, if
| there has been no disease there is a misplace
ment of the limbs at least, and weak dispo-
sition of the muscles. If the horse stands
with his feet spread apart, or straddles with
the hind legs, there is weakness of the loius
and the kidneys are disordered. When the
knees are bent and the legs totterand tremble,
the breast has been ruined by heavy pulling
and will never be right again, whatever rest
or treatment he may have. Contracted or ILL
formed hoofs speak for themselves.
4. Never buy a horse with q blush OF
milky cast in his eyes. They indicate con.
stitutional tendency to ophthalmia, moon
blindness, etc.
3. Never have anything to do with horse
who keeps his ears thrown backward this is
an invariable indication of bad temper.
G. If the horses hind legs are SCARED the
fact indicates that he is a kicker.
| Z. If the kne es are blemished the horse ii
apt to stumble.
8. When the skin is rough and harsh ant
does not move easily and smoothly to the
touch, the horse is heavy eater and his di
gestion is bad.
0. Avoid horse whose respiratory organ
are at all impaired. If the ear is placed a
the side of the heart and wheeling sound
is heard, it is an indication of trouble.