38 EXAMINATION OF HORSES 



decline to purchase the horse," or something to that 

 effect. The dealer would have been incensed against 

 me, and the intending purchaser would have missed a 

 really good bargain. The mere accident of my personally 

 knowing the purchaser, and of being able to wait upon 

 him, are not available in many cases. Take another 

 case. The same dealer as in last case had bought a 

 horse with his knee " chipped,^' that is, the hair was cut 

 and the sTiin a little bruised, and had to keep the horse 

 on his hands for nearly five months before he could pre- 

 sent him as a sound horse, and procure a certificate 

 accordingly. It was five months before the signs of the 

 injury were obliterated. These are cases of unsoundness 

 pro tern., but are not so physically but only through a 

 rotten vagueness of a term. These very trivial cases, 

 along with the graver defects I have mentioned, are at 

 least clear to us, and we can estimate them at their 

 proper value. In the very slightest cases we can at the 

 most advise the owner to wait a few months for the evi- 

 dences to become obliterated. It seems to me that I 

 have a good opportunity now of ofi'ering a piece of advice 

 which will, if followed, be of real service, and save you 

 from much unmerited blame. It is to assure you that 

 there is a wide difference between a veterinarian's certifi- 

 cate and a business letter, much more a friendly letter ; 

 and when you are going to put a good deal of qualifying 

 matter into a certificate, it is in many cases best to pre- 

 pare the recipient by a friendly letter sent first, that is, of 

 course, when you are not able to wait on him personally. 



