-70- 



In buying avoid all defects in the wind ; be sure the disability 

 has not been temporarily covered up, by special means known 

 to horse dealers. A whistler or roarer may show no indication 

 of his infirmity at a slow pace, or up to a certain speed. Be3'ond 

 that it is apparent. Broken w^ind is an incurable infirmity and 

 probabl}^ as distressing to the horse as the asthma is to man. A 

 horse may make more or less noise and yet not have broken 

 wind. Any indication of this, however, is to be looked on 

 with sus]3icion. 



In buying a horse his points of excellence and infirmitj^ are 

 better shown if only in fair working condition than when very 

 fat. A horse very fat is pretty nearly a useless creature until 

 his condition has been brought down to that of bone, sinew and 

 muscle, with just sufficient fat to lubricate, so to speak, the 

 working parts. Yet a horse for slow draft may be serviceable 

 and carry far more flesh and fat than one used for fast work. 

 Many superior horses have been ruined b}^ hard driving when 

 fat, or soft. 



XIII. Color in Eelation to Value. 



It is a saying as trite as it is old that any color is good in a 

 good horse. Yet a horse, however good otherwise, should be 

 invariably rejected if his coler is bad. For instance, it would 

 essentially mark both an ignorant and vulgar person who would 

 select a piebald, spotted, or otherwise extraordinary color for a 

 carriage horse. It would savor of the circus or show ring. 



As saddle horses for gentlemen, self-colors are the best, and 

 those distinct. A star in the forehead and two white feet behind 

 give character. A snip m the face, if large, is objectionable. 

 Four white stockings more so. Bay, brown and dark chestnut 

 are the preferable colors. If the horse is exceptionally stylish, 

 black and dapple gray are good colors. Gray horses are often 

 bad tempered, and black horses are not as a rule, docile. For 

 ladies' use a dark cream color with white mane and tail, or that 

 rare combmation, a dark chestnut with darker tail and mane 

 are elegant if of good form. So a strawberry roan, if unexcept- 

 tionable in style and form, is elegant. 



