460 CHAPTKH 01. 



])oin(s whicli lie thinks susi.icious. To sucli special wnvranty on any on(> 

 iKiiiit for u j^'ivcn tiiuf tin- Autlior socs no oltjcction either on the part of 

 the buyer or of the seller. 



Warranties are also priven as to freedom from viee. These are very apt 

 to lend to difficulty. A horse may he (jiiiet with one person and trouhle- 

 some with another. A horse may he qviiet if properly exercised, and 

 fractions if left in the stable and over-fed. A<rain, a horse with a really 

 beautiful mouth will often show temper and perhaps rear, if the rider has 

 bad hands. 



As reo:ards the temper or vice, the intendinfif purchaser ought to i>ro- 

 tect himself by ridinj; or drivinc; the animal, and ascertaininj^ by such 

 trial that he suits his hands and seat. If he is too timid to do it himself, 

 he can always find a friend who will not object to make the trial ; tho»i}j;h 

 for the reason <riven above such trial is very inferior to that made by the 

 intendin<j: purchaser personally. Seeinj; a horse ridden by the dealer or 

 his man is worth nothinir. Horse dealers. thou<;h they nu\ke a point of 

 abusin<T their men and declarin<2^ that they have no " hands," in reality 

 always provide themselves with f;ood riders for the purpose of showinj:,' 

 off their cattle to the beat advantajje. 



In tiyintj a horse, the animal should always be ridden in front af, 

 (dune, ant/ in cinnpani/. Many vicious horses jro cjuietly along with 

 another horse, especially with one to which they are accustomed ; whilst 

 others go (piietly alone, which are excessively unpleasant to ride along 

 with other liorses. The horse, when tried in company, should always be 

 ridden a little beliind as well as in front of and alongside others. Some 

 animals fidget all day unless they are in front, whilst others start and 

 shy when in front, thftugh quiet when ridden behind or with others. 



939. Purchase of acjed horses. 



The advisability of buying a mature horse of six or seven years old 

 should never be lost sight of, notwithstanding a few lumps or bumps, the 

 result of work, in preference to an absolutely clean-legged animal of that 

 age. The chances are that perfectly clean legs at that age are due to a 

 delicate constitution, a bad temper, or an attack of serious disease, which 

 has kept the animal out of the influences likely to cause these signs of 

 '" honest work."' 



An unbroken technically, /. e. absolutely sound six-year-old horse, is 

 an oljject of grave suspicion to all practical horsemen, who know that no 

 ordinary reason would induce the breeder to keep the animal till that age, 

 when it was as marketable at four years old. 



Moreover Conformation must play a very important part in expressing 

 an opinion regarding the unsovmdness of Legs, which may presumably be 

 the result of work or accident. 



939a. Responsibility of Veterinary Surgeons. 



As in the human subject specialists are often mistaken in the vieAvs 

 they take of the patient's constitutional ailments, so it may occur that 



