SPECIA.L RULES FOR BUYERS. 577 



SPECIAL RULES FOR BUYERS. 



There are some general rules by which, after satisfying himself 

 that the animal selected is of the right breed for his purpose and 

 possesses the distinguishing characteristics above mentioned, the 

 buyer should be guided in ascertaining the age, health and sound- 

 ness of the horse. For the age, he should be governed by the rules 

 given on pages 484- 489. For the general indications of health he 

 will look to the clearness and brightness of the eye, cleanness 

 of the nostrils, elasticity of the skin and the general appear- 

 ance of life and good spirits. In particular, he should 

 always look well to the nostrils. The horse can breathe only 

 through the nose, and the air which goes to and returns from the 

 lungs, must pass through the nostrils. When the animal is put to 

 speed or severe exercise of any sort, the nostrils must expand or the 

 horse will be distressed. The nostrils should be large, elastic and 

 expanding. The lips should be thin and sensitive, but the mouth 

 firm and well set. A loose or hanging mouth is a sign of weakness 

 or sluggishness. The neck should be muscular without being heavy. 

 The skin too should be moist, soft, elastic and flexible. 



The Signs of Disease or Weakness The safest test of 

 the soundness of a horse, is to look to the points where disease or 

 weakness are generally manifested. A horse may have experienced 

 illness or accident, and yet have recovered so as to be perfectly sound. 

 Still, the chances are that some constitutional weakness may have 

 resulted, or a predisposition to weakness or disease have been 

 induced, and if he bears any mark of such an experience, you will 

 purchase at your risk. If a horse shows the slightest evidence of 

 unnatural condition of the eye ; if there is the least symptom of 

 catarrhal affection; if you can detect anything abnormal in the act 

 of respiration; if he coughs ever so slightly ; irhe has any enlarge- 

 ment of the glands under the jaw, or show signs of corns, curb or 

 enlarged hock; if he seems inclined to "rest" one foot, or has 

 thickening of any bone or muscle, you may depend that he is un- 

 sound. The crib biting horse may safely be considered an unsound 

 one. Cutting is a serious defect and if there are any marks of such 

 a habit, it will be a safe plan to let the animal alone. 



TRICKS OF HORSE DEALERS. 



Methods of Deluding a Purchaser The chicanery and 

 deception of horse dealers are proverbial. One purchasing a horse 

 should exercise extreme caution in buying from a "jockey," or one 

 whose business it is to deal, unless he himself understands about a 

 horse, or unless he is accompanied by some one upon whose judg- 

 ment he can rely. The fraudulent acts employed by horse-dealers 

 are not confined to those who sell alone, but also are used by those 



