PREFACE. XV 



ceive, that it is their duty to swear any 

 thing to promote the interests of their mas- 

 ters ; hence, the perjury that generally at- 

 tends a horse cause is shocking in the 

 extreme. 



Witnesses, in causes of this nature, how- 

 ever, console themselves by the consideration 

 that they swear only to the best of their 

 judgment. This may really be the case with 

 some who are unhackneyed in the tricks of 

 horse-dealing; but the majority, I conceive, 

 will find it difficult to cheat the devil by a 

 salvo of this description. 



The shifts and evasions to escape detec- 

 tion in the sale of an unsound horse, are 

 almost innumerable. Thus, if the animal 

 have narrow contracted feet, or if his knees 

 bend over from hard work, the purchaser is 

 gravely told that the horse inherited those 

 properties either from the sire or dam. — 

 Again, it is usual with dealers to talk 

 about natural lameness, and they frequently 

 ascribe imperfect motion to that cause. 

 But I could never discover what was meant 

 liy this natural lameness. If a colt be 

 foaled with one leg shorter or longer than 

 the rest, consequently his action will be ir- 

 regular and incomplete ; or if he be foaled 



