The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-08

| is the horses particular pleasure. The
| horse may have been picked up the day
| before and put into cart that ne tried TO
| kick toward heaven, but was afterward
/ quieted down and went steadily for q
| quarter of a mile or SO, driven by a coach
| man of some 40 years experience, and who
| doubtless felt relieved when the drive was
| finished.
STEADY to ride or drive" means, ex-
actly what it says, and the buyer can
always return an animal that does not
bear out the statement, after fair trial by
q competent driver.
Sound aud kind" is phase often used,
and is one of the hardest nuts to crack
that the vender plays with. A horse can
be, to all appearances, sound" on the
day Of the sale, but he may be "a little off
tomorrow" and then it becomes a cues
ton whether the defect that developed in
so short time was doctored up to get the
horse through the auctioneer's hands. a
limit OF time is generally placed for a
horse to be tried and returned. If an IN
sOundness develops in the course of
week or so, any competent veterinarian
can usually decide whether the defect ex-
listed before the sale, and was "smoothed
over"
Unsoundness consists of a lot of all
ments diseases and bone troubles, any one
of which may be said 10 impair the AMI
mails natural usefulness. Some vices also
detract from the animals value. and are
included in the definition "unsoundness"
Many of these troubles, however, only ex-
ist in very small way, and are not con-
sidered as unsoundness. A ''fresh" horse,
that jumps all over the grounds. perhaps
throws his rider and makes rush toward
the crowd, or away from it, is no. necessa-
rily vicious, or liable to be discarded as
| unsound or unsafe. He is often described
as "wanting little work" to make him
straight and go along like sheep.
That horse will not take his iced does
not always mean that he is failing, or has
an unsoundness. Probably he wants med
icine, change Of diet, company or different
handling. A good form OF warranty is
Warranted so many years old, sound,
free from vice, and quiet to ride or drive
(single or double. or both)"
Vices include shying at every object
passed, rearing. bucking. kicking without
apparent proyocatlOn, jibbing or baking,
or refusal to. start when properly per-
suaded or directed, boiling or running
away, biting at every object that comes
within reach, wind sucking or holding on
to the manger with the teeth and making
noise as if sucking air. weaving or
swinging the head from SIDE to side IN the
stable or harness as q wild animal does in
his den. This IS sometimes cured by
changing horse into comfortable loose
box or stall, where it can look at things
around it and be constantly n sight or
touch Of one of the grooms or other
horses etc. To discover some OF these
vices is the reason why SO many horse
dealers like to go through auction stables
a day or two before the sale and try
horses under all sorts OF conditions. They
watch the horses, approach them sud-
denly, run them up and down sharply,
some times hit them in the ribs and resort
to all sorts of maneuvres TO find out fatal
unsoundness, such as roaring. whistling.
cough. broken wind.
To find ont defects, always try 20 look at
q horse az he comes out of his stall, after
being in it for a few hours. Look into his
eyes Just before the full light strikes them.
Look for specks and large amount of
white. Pass your hands In front OF them
and see if he winks. which. il you move
your hands slowly, viii prove 10 you
whether or not he IS blind. a horse is
often stone blind. while his eyes look
natural. Blindness is hot always defect
in driving horse. Plenty of the best
general utility, yes, and lots OF other
horses are blind. 1t would hardly do for
a hunter to be stone blind. of course. al
though such horses are not al sound IN
this respect. Horses with one eye out are
generally used for years in double har-
ness. the bad side near the pole. j saddle
horse with one eye missing would look
bad. A harness horse in b!inkers would
not be noticed so much.
To try his breathing apparatus, grasp
his throat till he coughs, then watch his
breathing. Run him up and down, hat
HIM with stick. stop him suddenly and
then listen TO MS breathing. Look at his
sides and see If he heaves and breathes
evenly. Look at his legs. See that his
elbows are well out from the ribs; same
with his stt1e joints on hind legs. Exam
Inc the knees 10 ee If they are cut, PROV
ing " neither he has been down; if he has
been down he Will surely go down again.
See II his legs inside are cut by his shoes
Pass the fingers between the slnews at
back of leg and the bone; they should be
well separated and free from Jumps or
ergptlOns between or on either side. Feel
the rasteTns 10 see II there Is any eruption
OF bone. Examine coronet 10 see Il there
is any moisture there oOZlng from behind
the hoOr. Sometimes horse gets bad
cut there which develops into worse
trouble; sometimes he runs nail or sharp
instrument into his foot and trouble re-
suits which causes an eruption at the top
Of the hoof.
Look AZ the hoofs and see that they are
good and round, not clumsy but clean out
side AMI plenty OF room for the frog OF the
foot. Don't take feet that are contracted
and look like mules foot, high and mar
row see that the front legs are perfectly
straight, not straddled outward or pigeon
sosG inward. Gee that the pasIerns have