In the Stable, Field, and on the Road. 245 



stake, who will have their price for a horse, and do not 

 deal after the Jewish manner of asking twice as much as 

 they intend to take. It is by far the best plan for pur- 

 chasers to go to such men who will let them have a horse 

 on hire with the option of purchase ; if they have to pay 

 a little more at the first (which is doubtful) they have a 

 fair chance of trying the animal. In buying a horse the 

 hand should be drawn over the ribs and the fingers 

 pressed firmly between them ; if the skin appears tight 

 and unyielding it may be inferred that the animal is 

 hidebound, and consequently labouring under some 

 internal disease. I would most particularly draw the 

 attention of the intending purchaser to the fetlock joints 

 of the horse, and if he finds a mark of a cut which may 

 be only an inch long or it may be some inches, situate 

 parallel with the shank bone, and immediately below the 

 pastern joint ; if such a mark is found it is certain that 

 the horse has been nerved, an operation which is per- 

 formed by cutting a portion of the nerve away to render 

 a horse workably sound which has an invariable attack 

 of navicular disease, such horse should be instantly 

 neglected. In examining the foot, if the sides of the 

 hoof are marked with circular depressions running 

 parallel with the coronet, it is certain that severe inflam- 

 mation has existed at some time in the sensible portion 

 of the foot and is consequently liable to a return of it at 

 any time after a little over exertion. See that both fore 

 feet as well as the hind ones are of an equal size, and 

 ascertain that they are quite cool and equally so ; attend 

 to the sole, see that it is of its proper shape ; thrush can 

 be detected by the smell, besides the other symptoms 



