IN SEARCH OF A HORSE. 145 



no reliance whatever can be placed on his mark ; 

 and if he shows symptoms of age, its appearance at 

 all should be viewed with suspicion : but from ten or 

 eleven years the tushes elongate themselves very 

 considerably, and when a few years more advanced, 

 all the front teeth assume a lengthy and uneven cha- 

 racter, far too distinct to allow of imposition on the 

 most inexperienced buyer. The trick of cauterizing 

 the teeth is usually practised on horses under nine : 

 and except with a view to sell again, the loss of the 

 mark or the creation of a false one, is of little conse- 

 quence, unless the animal shows other signs of severe 

 "work, or of being stale^ as it is commonly called: for 

 my own part I would prefer a horse of eight years 

 old for work, to one of six, if I could be sure that he 

 had been fairly treated ; but it too often happens in 

 dealers' horses that '^ all their work is taken out of 

 them," even before they are six : at least four-fifths 

 are injured permanently by being set to work too 

 early in life. 



It is not often that a glandered horse is found in 



a dealer's stables : the disorder is now acknowledged 



to be contagious, and its symptoms are too decided 



to allow even accident to bring him there. It may 



13* 



