368 THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS 



A sportsman thinks little of a broken knee in a 

 hunter, provided the blemish be not very great, or the 

 action of the joint rendered defective by it. I re- 

 member selling a horse fifteen years back for a large 

 price in Leicestershire, forgetting to tell the , pur- 

 chaser he had a broken knee until the deal was con- 

 cluded, with the exception of the money being paid. 

 Scarcely a remark was made by him on my informing 

 him of it, and he paid me the following morning. A 

 hunter must be absolutely free from any stiffness of 

 knees and shoulders. 



BLISTERS 



I never argue against the use of anything by the 

 abuse of it : we might as well inveigh against gold 

 and silver at once ; but I confess I am a determined 

 enemy to the indiscriminate use of strong blisters. 

 The legs of many horses are made of such good and 

 lasting materials that they bid defiance to such treat- 

 ment ; but can anything be more absurd than the 

 (I am sorry to say) still prevailing practice of bUster- 

 ing a sound horse all-fours ^ previous to turning him 

 up for the summer ? Is not the effect of blister to 

 excite violent inflammation on the parts to which 

 it is applied, and consequently to relax the cellular 

 membrane or skin ? In aU cases of lameness arising 

 from weakness and relaxation of the limb, their 

 application must be most injurious ; and to their 



^ To blister a horse upon all four limbs at the same time, 

 is a cruel and useless procedure, though seldom practised. — 

 Editor. 



