The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-01-07
PURCHASING A HORSE.
An Afternoon Stroll Througf the Su
STABLES ut New Orleans.

and West. and was a iirst-c'ass city for
the livery business. Tho traffic in
horses 10 still fairly good here. but the
livery stables are doing nothing COM
parntivoly in the way of hiring either
riding or buggy horses. They claim
that this is due to tho lack of drives in
and about the city. owing. they say.
to years of neglect of the public high
ways. which become, in many in
stances, quagmiros after the leastr rain.
The streets are all hills and hollows,
rough thoroughfares, hard on the bug
gics and drivers-all from need Of re-
pairs.
Various classes Of horses come here
from different portions of the country.
The Texas ponies are shipped here by
carloads, received, and placed in the
pens. Tho majority are unbrokon, and
sell from S25 to $50, according to sizo
and appearance.
The harness, draft, saddle and road
stcr horses come from Tennessee,
kentucky, Missouri, Illinois. Wiscon-
sin and the other Western States. The
dealers hero. however, generally buy
their supply of the different grades of
animals in st. Louis, Cincinnati, Lex
ington and Louisville. where the deal
ers there collect their stocks from their
respective sections from the breeders.
The brewers here buy the better
class of draft-horses, the large. heavy
ones, weighing from 1000 to 1,500
pounds.
The fire companies also desire
heavy animals, but active ones, with
quick movements, whose build does
not make them too clumsy. Tho
Southern Express Company is another
institution that requires q good grade
Of business horse. running from 1000
to 1000 pounds. Tho retail grocers
use for their delivery wagons horses
standing Is and 16 hands and weigh
ing from 900 to 1920 pounds.
The sadale-horse is generally sold
to gentlemen of means, whose exercise
is taken in the open air on the back
of spirited and fancy stecd. Such q
purchaser is usually particular in maxi
ing his selection, and is Liable to sit
down and discuss with tho seller the
style, gait and merits of the prospect
i've purchase.
He is invariably given trial of the
horse, which is first ridden up and
down the street for his inspection, and
then turned over to himself to ride
to see that it suits him. The
favorite colors are bay, chestnut,
brown and black.
The roadster or buggy-horse is
bought by the man who enjoys an
afternoon spin along the boulevards
and public driveways. Such horses
are valued according to their speed,
style and gentleness in harness. A
good roadster should be able to 60 in
four minutes. docilc. not afraid of
steam cars, dummies. or engines. and
should be thoroughly broken.
Before the bargain is completed one
of the stable-boys takes the horse out,
which is we'll groomcd. and should
hold his head well up. presenting tho
required type of roadster. and trots
him along the block so rs to show all
his points to the purchaser, who by
this means is able to judge of the cut
and carriage of the animal.
A great many buyers depend alto
gether upon the word of the seller rs
to the ago of tho horse. but others
insist on an examination of tho mouth,
closely scanning the teeth for the in
dication of the horses age. After
they have finished their inspection
they know rs little as they dill before,
because. if tho dealer is trickster. he
has already "bishopeT' the animals
mouth. That is, having an aged trot-
ter, PAGER, or sadtlc-horse for sale, he
has taken the precaution to file his
teeth and put in the black spots by
burning them with u red -hot iron. A s
q horse grows older his teeth
become long, the gums shrink away
and the black dots disappear. This
being the case, the dealer can make
his horse show up almost any age that
he wishes. evento putting in the notch
in the side jaw teeth. that indicates
the period of five years old. So the
purchaser. however fine an opinion he
hasOf his own smar'ness and knowl-
edge. is in reality as zero in the hands
of an experienced horseman.
In selling buggy or carriage horse
the vendor generally takes the foresight
to 60 with the purchaser and hold the
reins, for the horse may have some de-
feet that he considers best to hide. For
instance, the horse may go ahead all
right, but cut up when backed. In that
case he nevor attempts to back him.
If he SHES at dummies and flying pa
per, he avoids them in his route.
Whatever trick he has he is careful to
keep out Of sight, letting the purchaser
find it out afterward. The buying of
horse. therefore. settles Itself down
to trading with n responsible man,
and with the dealer himself, having
nothing to do with go-be- tweons,
such us brokers and others. who
hang round stables Whiting to
catch hold of purchaser in order to
secure n commission. M q. Times
Democrat
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