The Tucumcari news. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1906-01-13
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Points Of the Horse.

80 ''SAh oto VI
horses for breeding purposes, a knowl-
edge of desirable and undesirable
points is of considerable Importance
and value. One should, for instance,
Know that when a horse carries his
ears rigidly, neither moving them
back or forward, he is probably deaf,
ana a tendency to this trouble may
prove hereditary. On the contrary, a
morse that is constantly moving his
ears is likely to be defective in eye
sight and is therefore using his ears
to make up for imperfect vision. We
also suspect that a horse showing this
habit will be likely to run way when
exposed to cause OF fright or alarm,
and his disposition will not likely be
desirable in other respects. If the ears
are very small, 1t is common to find
small eyes in the same association.
Ihis is characteristic of some breeds.
The P~ercheron, for instance, has some.
what small ears and eyes, while the
Clydesdale has large hazel eyes and
better proportional ears, although
they may be somewhat coarse and
hairy, as is more seen in the English
Shire.
Rigid, upright ears are also char
acteristic of tetanus Clock jaw.
Where that disease is present it is
further shown by an infallible test
On raising the horses head the 'haw"
membrane nictitans or "~washers')
OF the eye protrudes from the inner
corner across the ~eyeball. One should
not purchase a horse showing this
symptom. We know of only one in.
stan in which it did not evidence
jetanus. One should beware of wrin-
IL eyelids too, for they indicate in
nos Instances that the horse has suf.
tered II or more attacks Of moon
blindness (periodic o~phthalmia). In
addition to wrinkles one sees that the
eyelids under these circumstances are
not nicely arched or curved but are
likely to be angular, and a careful eX-
animation may disclose a white ring
around the eyeball or a white spot or
two on the pupil.
The ring is suspicious; a spot indi.
Gates cataract or result of a blow;
the eye Is unsound if a deposit or dis.
coloration is seer at the lower part
OF the pupil. AS regards the eyes it
should also be remembered that blind
horses have sometimes wonderfully at.
tractive, prominent, bright eyes.
Where such a condition is found. the
blindness is due to amaurosis (glass
eye or palsy Of the sight) and the
cause is paralysis of the optic nerves
and retina. In sound eyes the pupils
should contract when exposed TO the
Hg.: on coming from a dark place.
This does not occur when amaurosis
Is present and the eyeball is seer to
be spherical instead Of eliptical-the
latter shape characteriZing a sound
eye.
Conditions such as we have outlined
should be looked for when examining
a horse, and one should also test the
sight by very gently threatening to
strike the eye with the hand. Do not
make a sudden, alarming pass at the
eye as the horse though blind will
feel a column of air strike TIE face
and finch accordingly, or the hand
Will strike the long hairs which pro.
rude from the face under the eve;
fear of a very lightly aimed blow, just
The raising Of the fingers towards the
eye, should cause the horse t o wink and
il!nch II the eye is sound, or at least
not blind. Coming to the n~ostrils one
should know that tricky dealers some.
times plug one nostril with a sponge
10 prevent a roaring horse from show.
ing his u~nsoundness to the prospec-
tive buyer. 1t is much better to dis.
cover the sponge before buying than
TO find it in the manger after getting
the horse home. Examination will
show that a horse has two false nos.
':i.s in addition TO the true nostrils.
Tumors Or cysts sometimes so bulge
Vie false nostril as TO reduce the cali.
..r ~ tho true nostril and so cause