Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1898-02-17
HORSE TRADES.
Cleverand Brutal Tricks THAT. Areworked
For the Uninitiated.

OAoVHItNAAsA 1T1CkS fThC Arc w CxKe0
For the Uninitiated.
That there are sstricks in all
trades there is no question:, but it
is a question whether there is any
trade in which there are SO many
tricks practiced as in horse dealing.
a certain class of men, known
among veterinary surgeons as ''gyp-
pers, carry on atradewhich brings
into use tricks which are against
every law forbiading cruelty to ami
mals
These "gyppers set up establish
ments in the various fashionable lor
calities, where they dispose of
family driving horses, !" "a young
lady's pet mare children S
ponies and so on through the cata-
logue at very small sums, providing
also that s'the horse can be given a
good home"
A family is leaving for Europe, a
young man whose father has recent
ly failed (names never being dis
closed by request wants to dispose
of a fine animal, but the good home
is the chief object.
The veterinary surgeon IAN ac-
complice) is called in. He testifies
to the soundness of the animal and
grants certificate. A grand sale is
made, and by the time the buyers
have discovered their mistake the
establishment has moved and all
trace Of the ''gypper" is lost.
One of the first and most impor-
tant steps is to make the teeth of an
old horse resemble those of 5-yeals
old. The teeth'of young horse con-
tain large cavities which grow
smaller as the horse ages.
The black lining of the tooth,
which must be visible, is burned in
with nitrate of silver or some other
chemical agent. The painfulness OF
this operation can be judged by
every reader who has ever spent ten
minutes in the dentists chair Of
| torture.
"A young horse is naturally full il
the face. Sunken eyes intimate ap
| preaching age. This is rectifed by
inserting a hypodermic needle just
above the orbits of the eyes an6
blowing it up with air.
In case of distemper or influenza
the discharge is temporarily stopped
by plugging one nostril with &
sponge.
Perhaps the most brutal thing te
which alhorse is subjected by these
"gyppers is in the case of horse
blind in one eye or where cataract
lessons his value. The dealer with
out any conjunction whatever
punctures the eye, which runs out
and then inserts an artificial one
The operation is a most delicat.
one, and, needless to say, extremely
painful.
es If the dealer finds himself burden
ed with a lame horse whose condi
1 ton suggests no Immediate chang,
for the better, he sewers the nerv,
that supplies the foot, an operation
which is termed by surgeons neu
rotomy. The1'elief is but temporary
and the suffering of the horse il
supposed to be intense.
| When a horse has aquarter crack
it is quickly filled with gutta perch;
or putty and painted to match tn
hoof.
| The way to make a thigh step
per" is to rub the back tendons o
the legs with turpentine and COW
4 itch, which burns like fire an,
makes the horse prance with pain.
Choral hydrate and opium an,
the different narcotics are admins
tered to tricky horses. absorben
cotton is plugged in the ears of sh,
ones, and "wedging" is resorted t
in cases of lameness. An iron wedg
is driven underneath the shoe o
the corresponding foot, causing bot
legs to go lame alike, which onl,
Gives the horse a different motion
| Mrs. Stark, Pleasant Ridge, Ohio
says: "After two doctors gave up my boy t
die, / saved him from croupe by using On
Minute Cough Cure" 1t is the quickest AM