Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1900-10-05
Pointers Tor Horss buyers

Pointers FOR Horse lsuysrs. N
It Is q matter OF considerable dim
Guilty to decide from the appearance
OF q horse what his character Is. Still
there are certain things which may be
taken into consideration that will as
sist In coming to correct conclusion.
In the first place 1t is we'll to watch
the eyes and ears OF the horse that
has been found to be otherwise sound:
AS rule the horse that has q pair OF
large, mule-looking ears, which are
seldom moved about, is to be cOnsid-
cred a slow, obstinate, senseless work
or, while the one that moves his ears
all of the time as II constantly look
ing FOR trouble, is liable to C. s!:re.
nervous and may turn out to be a rum
away animal. At the same time We
like to see pair Of we'll cut, intelli.
gent ears. which are alert for sounds
OF danger or legitimate cause for
alright. They indicate horse sense"
and good breeding, and are usually
possessed by horse that has good
staying qualities. Pendulant cars
that never find their proper position
indicate sluggish disposition, and
horses with this fault are very often
what are termed dummies" as a re-
suit of over-heating or other affection
OF the brain. Handle the ears OF a
horse about to be bought. for some
times the doing of this will show the
nrNS Nont ivo huvoN hat ! ;n oo<jo Tx,
impossible to pat halter or bride
upon the animal. he having at some
time In his life received an injury
or beating over the head which has
left him vicious as to that part of his
anatomy. Stand to one side after this
and make noise which should draw
the attention of the horse and will
therefore serve to prove whether he
can hear, for some horses are deaf,
which Is bad fault. The eye should
be full and expressive. but some OF
the brightest Of eyes are blind owing
to disease called amaurosis, which
Is due to paralysis OF the nerves OF
sight. This may be detected readily
by close examination, and is indeed
quite apparent by the extra bright.
wide open" appearance Of the eyes.
The horse that is always looking at
one out Of the corners of his eyes,
and shows an abnormal amount OF
white, SO long as the latter appear
ance is not due to what are termed
watch" and wall eyes," is to be re-
p9r6Q6 with ho 10 oYfrQ
nervous, and will be likely to prove a
shyer. Avoid the eye that Is con-
tracted and has sunken, wrinkled lids
for such eyes In almost all cases have
been affected with moon blindness"
and it is for that reason that many
a horse is palmed off upon the UNI
wary between the periodical attacks of
the disease, when his eyes do not ap-
pear to be badly affected. See, too,
that the corner of the eye (the hand
kerchief) does not come over the sight
of the eye, when the horses head Is
elevated. This is an indication OF
tetanus (lockjaw), and was recently
seen in the eyes of a horse bought by
a friend Of the writer's. The man who
sold the horse knew that it was an
indication of the disease, and for that
reason sold him to the buyer who
was "sold," in the slang sense OF the
word, and did not find it out until he
had the horse examined by his veteri-
marian. 1t may be added that the
horse in question died of lockjaw the
following day. The lips Of horse, in
connection with the other points of his
face, should be taken into considera-
ton, as they have bearing upon the
character Of the animal. For instance,
some horses are seen to have pendu-
lous lips which may be eminently we'll
calculated to gather up oats from a
deep box. but do not add to his come
Illness. They indicate a lack of mus
cular tone of the body, and are pos
sessed by lazy, easily fatigued ami
NAL. A Roman nose," sometimes
said to be the sign Of an obstinate
animal, is often the indication of a
plodding disposition, and we have
known it to be such in the case Of
some of the best workers We ever saw.
It should not be condemned on general
principles; at least not until it is
found out that it does accompany vice
We doubt il there is any advantage
In keeping water in front of the cows
all the time. 1t seems to us rather
a trap for disease germs, especially
such as thrive in water. It is better
to give them water freshly pumped
each time For the same reason we
do not approve of the old Shiny trough
in the pasture or by the wayside. The
eggs Of the various animal parasites
are frequently washed into such drink
ing places and are taken into the
stomachs of the animals. Could we
but secure good drinking water for
our COWS many of the internal parasites
that are destructive to stock would
cease to be troublesome. Then, too,
the taints in the milk are doubtless
often the result Of impure water, es-
recially in summer time when the
streams are so low that the cows real
ly drink from mud holes. Cows can