Year: 1861

horse, without defect In wind, limb, or sight.
The various imperfections which occur in each
Of these are here enumerated:


TIE EYEs.-When the animal about to be


purchased is at the stable door, befere he is


brought out, examine bis eyes; the light
coming upon them In that situation, will


enable you to discover any defect that NAV


exist. Remember that both eyes must be In an


equal degree of light; and, regarding this,
observe tsst there is no difference in the eyes


for n they be not alike one must be diseased.


IF beth eyes be clear, and hazel round the


pupil, and the pupil itself be blue, and free


from any white specks-ifit contract In the


light and dilate when in the shade, you may


conclude the eyes are good. If the eyes be


blue round the pupil, or the pupil itself be in


the least degree affected with external specks,


or deep-seated pearly whiteness, termed cata-


ract; If it do not diminish or enlarge, as the


light is more or less upon it-in all these cases


1t is a defective eye. All weeping, cloudy dull


looking eyes are unsound aud If there be the


least appearance in any way of disease in this


very important organ, reject the animal I'm


perfect vision is often the primary cause of
shying.


THE AaE.-Next examine the mouth to


ascertain the age.


Ysarlings and two-year-olds are alike In


mouth, and must be judged by general appear
ance. At three years old the horse has four
hoTSs-teeth, two above and two below, in front



1ng-teeth. At four he has eight horse teeth,
-four above aud four below, the corner being


only suckiEg-teeth. At FIVE years old, these
are gone, and the mouth is mp at least with
the exception Of the inside Of the backmost,
WAies, especially in mares, sometimes do not
rise until the sixth year; that is, all the teeth
are horse-teeth, and the tusk is up on each
slde Of the mouth. A dark mark, or hollow is
generally observable in all the teeth of the
bottom jaw at five years old and the tusks
are conoaye in their inner surface. Atsix, the
two middle teeth have quite lost their mark,


and the tusk is higher up, and longer, and not
80 conoAye- AT seven the next two teeth have
lost it, and the corner teeth only have the
mark left in them. At eight, it has grown out
OF these; and no mark is left at all. The
tusks also become longer, and instead of being
concave in their inner surface, become convex:
the horse is then termed aged. There is, how
ever, great deal Of difference in the mouths
some have lost their mark in all except the
corner teeth, even as early as five years old
others have their front teeth in the top law
projecting ever their bottom teeth at the same
age. You may form some idea of the ece from
the appearance of the mouth in general when
the marks are no longer visible If the corner
teeth do not appear leng and running forward,
as 1t were, to the front Of the mouth if they
retain their square shape and shut well
together; ifthe tusks are blunt and have the
least cOncayity on the inner surface, you may
conclude that the horse is not very old, par.
ticulariy If his head be not gray, and not very
hollow above the eyes; though this latter
shape sometimes exists in young horses A
concaVe tusk is the most certain criterion of
youth and as mares have no tusk at all, they
must be judged by what / have said about the
corner teeth, except in some cases Of what are
called "shell teeth, from their resem blance
10 the plate-like cakes Of shells, and horses
with these preserve the appearance of youth
till ten or twelve years old.


TIE PosIrIoS.-When the horse is brought
out allow him to be placed with his fore legs up
hill-becsuse if his joints be at all bent over,
or his legs shaken, you will best discover it in
such position.


KSEEs.-As the horse stands, examine his
knees and ascertain that no marks exist in
front Of them. These marks are generally the
symptoms Of having been down, and even were
they oecasioned by other means than falling
the blemish is the same and almost equally de-
tracts from his value. Next look inside of the
leg Just under the knee, and IL any scars be
visible, or the hair site h up, you may conclude
that he cuts In his speedy or fast PAGES Mark /
well that similar scar does not exist at the /
ankle, or hair appear brushed for such marks |
are solely produced by the act of cutting,
which, as before observed, is generally a /
natural, and therefore incurable defect in /
action.


TIE LEss.-Take notice that the legs be
not tottsring, and inclining forward, either at
the knee or at the ankle and that the ankle
joints be large in front. The back sineus,
also, should not appear bowed out behind, nor /
feel thiek-the symptoms of their having sus-
tanned some injury. The legs should be fat,
and not round neither should they be soft
and puffy, but wiry and hard. Both legs
should be alike, for if one be larger than the
other, it is an injured leg. Never buy q horse
for sound enc with a big leg, even though he
be warranted. You need not mind a spleHt, or
nm haa ahan nj - l. II
50 situated as to interfere with the suspensory
ligament, or project so much as to hit the other
leg In going RingbOnes, or enlargenents on |
the pasterns ard coronet, are easily perceived |
from q difference in the two legs; as it rarely
occurs, even when both legs are affected |
equally. lncipient ringbopes will sometimes
produce lameness, even before they are



THE REET.-Be particularly attentive to the |
feet for, according to the old saying-no foot,
no horse. First Of all, observe that one foot
should not be less than the other; and that
they should not be indented, or hollow around
the crust. The crust itself should not be brittle
and broken where the nails have been driven
nor should there exist in it any circular cracks
Dor longitudinal fsures from the coronet
1ounwards, which last are called sand cracks.
The heels should not be drawn together and
nor should the frog be small and
ragged, nor discharge fetid matter which is a |
iisesse called . thrash. The horn at the heel ,
will be liable to oorns and the sole should .
neither be fat nor convex. 1t is obvious no
horse can continue sound with these imperfec-
ions in the feet; and il frequently happens 4.
hat horses with very finely formed feet, are
Tery lame from q hidden cause within the hoof |
some veterinary surgeons consider such
description Of foot lameness hereditary. ,
.ameness in the feet (often erroneously taken
or and called lameness In the shoulder) |
proceeds from q slight strain in the
,aek tendon, which, on Inflammation falling
iown to the sensible sole, produces navicular
llsease, only curable by an operation, and
'hich fortunately Is q simple one, in really
oientifc hands, seldom failing to give relief.
{ the leg' and feet be smooth, you may /
nagins that all is right in the fore part of the
orse Id
TEE HocKs.-Next exsmine the hooks: u
bserVe that, asyou stand on either side of
hem, there be no projection at the back of the Z
oint, called q curb; and, as ysu stand behind 1
hem, that the inside Of the joint down below be b
rec from little knots, or bony excrescences, a
'hich are called bone spsvins and on looking 9
them In slanting direction that there be no = :
knwA n Il