XX PREFACE. 



The necessity, therefore, of drawing the 

 line is evident, for the purpose of determining 

 whether the existence (at the time of sale) 

 of any defect likely to produce disease^ shall 

 or shall not be considered as unsoundness. 

 But whilst the above-mentioned varieties in 

 the scale of soundness continue to occur, 

 it will be fruitless to attempt to reduce the 

 standard to the positive absence of all ble- 

 mish or defect; for, as I have before stated, 

 such a measure would exclude three-fourths 

 of the horses in the kingdom. 



Taking the subject in every point of view, 

 there seems to be no other alternative than 

 that of determining, that, if the horse, noi- 

 withstanding he eihihit any of the defects or 

 blemishes above mentioned^ shall be free from 

 lameness, blindness, or broken wind, at the 

 time of sale, he shall be deemed a sound 

 horse, and not returnable, except disease 

 shall have taken place within a reasonable 

 period. For, the purchaser is supposed to 

 see those defects which are likely to produce 

 unsoundness, at the time he makes the pur- 

 chase, and if he be not a competent judge 

 of those matters, he possesses the means of 

 availing himself of the judgment of pro- 

 fessional men, by making application < to 



