Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-03-25
HOW TO SELECT A HORSE.
From a Lecture of DIR. A. A. Grange BE-
fore the Agricultural Departments Uni.
yersity OF Minnesota.

usu"iiy Will Tue 'front.', at theiet nos
tril, dilating II and looking at the In.
side for the rose pink color, which l.
the healthy condition. If the animal
is suffering from any catarrhal affection
you VIII observe that the nostril Is in
iiamed. Then You examine the red
membranes to see If il As free from
liberated spots. If there's any doubt
whether the animal is suffering from
CHAMBERS, by holding lighted candle
you can see considerable distance up.
Ihen, after examining this thorough
~, open the mouth and look al The
tongue, to see If it is there and in per-
iect condition. Then pass the hand
down on the lower jaw and examine II
10 see that there are no tumors in the
back part--tulnors there indicate
CHAMBERS and a disease called distemp-
er, which Is quite common amongst
horses.
NEXT EXAMINE
the left eye, to observe whether the
pupil responds with action of light.
and If it does, it is healthy. To deter
mine that you place a hat or some
thing ofthat description over the eve
and the pupil will dllate, and after its
removal the action of light will cause
the pupil to contract. Then the eve
should present clear appearance. If
it has Il cloudy or hazy appearance,
with scum over it, it is not in
healthy condition. 1t will also be OBJ
served of an eye i'm an unhealthy con-
dition that there is generally weeping
or flow of tears over the side of the
face. You must examine the poll to
see if poll evil exists. The iurllar
vein should also be examined to see
whether II exists, because from care
less treatment, from irritating the
vein, and careless bleeding, il becomes
inilamed and after the process If in
I hanlmatlon has run Its course il be-
comes cbiiteratcd and the blood Is car
ried back FROM the head is The smaller
veins. When this YeAp becomes ob.
liberated, If you turn the horse out TO
pasture the head viii swell up Then
you pass the hand along the back to-
, ward the tail examining, on the way,
the withers fer iistula, q disease siitli-
! lhr-to poll ell, q running sore, very
Troublesome Ia its nature examining
also along the spine for collar gals.
| Then, in proceeding TO examine the
fore leg, first of all you examne the
shoulder for sweeny which is vast
ing of the muscles of the shoulder RI
the wasting has proceeded 20 any very
considerable degree
THE ACTION OF THE SHOULDER
is Aplainly visible, and it is often
thought by casual observers that the
SHOULDER is out of joint. After eXamin-
ing the shoulder, examine the
elbow to see if the condition
called capped elbow exists. 1t
does not interfere with the horses
usefulness, but looks ugly. Then pass
the hand down in front Of the leg. If
white hairs are found up0S@ the knee,
that indicates that the animal has been
down some time or other, and is, per-
haps, a stumbler. Passing the hand
down, examine with the fingers, the
inside of the leg for splints. Then ex-
anime the fetlock for ringbone, com
pairing both feet If there is any doubt
about its existence. There are two
4 flexible plates of cartilage around the
| heels, which sometimes become dis
eased, in condition called sidebone
which must not be confused
with ringbone, one being disease OF
the bone, the other of the cartilage.
! If the plates are flexible they are in
healthy condition. The hoof should
next be examined for sand-crack, the
bottom portion of it, in cleft OF the
| frog, for thrush. Thrush is q disease
| of the sensitive structure above lhen
it is well to have look at the limb
| from shoulder to foot TO see il the joints
are in their natural position, and that
! the animal does not stand over either
| at the knee or at the fetlock. Having
done so, you turn your back TO the an
! imal's head and examine the back ten
sions of the leg. On a well-bred am
1 nal they show almost as plainly as II
the skin was removed. Then feel 10
see If the outlines are smooth, and that
there are no Jumps upon them. Lumps
upon them would indicate spraln at
some previous time. After examining
the fore leg in this manner, pass your
| hand over the chest, the part from the
shoulder back to the end of the ribs.
Then examine the abdominal cavity 10
see if II rupture exists. so lar rs
THE GENERAL USEFULNESS
of the animal is concerned, rupture
] unless 1t is very large one, does not
interfere with their everyday work.
Still il is not advisable TO buy rup-
tured animal. Then get an assistant
to take up the fore leg, holding 1t by
the toe. The object OF this is to throw
the weight of the body so that IL
stands firmly upon It's hind legs. Then
examine the hind leg, passing the
hand down until you come To the
point of the hook. Examine there for
capped hook, which, although 1t does
not interfere with the usefulness oil
the animal, yet it indicates a kicker.
i Look also for curb, which rs spraii'
of the short ligament when paste
down from the hook, say four or llVe
inches, and for bog spawn. BOG spa
vim seldom does any harm, bul III ~
animal required for road purposes tns
disease is often serious ana troupie
some. Then examine for bone spaVii
toward the inside at the front OF IN
hook stand about three feet from tll'
shoulder and look from the inside o
the hook down, and if the line Is ordi
nnrily straight il is not likely e
exist You then pass the hand dow
the front of the hind leg and examine
carefully for ringbone, the front ies
being M all the time. Side bones az
NOT occur in the hind leg. EHamin'
also for thrush and sand crack; hay
; ing made an examination OF the lell
vo, proceed TO the front and eSaihin
fhe right side in exactly the sam
manner Then stand behind IN
horse a few yards, and make an exam
NATION OF the headquarters ana 81
whether il is hipped, so that the ~
On one side Is less than II Is on "
other side. and the animal Is sald 10
,au-N- tN THE HIP.