112 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 2 



bein<? the stronirest, as vrell as the swiftest of all 

 quach'uppcls. 



A hor.se intemled for hiintiii!! should be strona: 

 and well bred, (it" ihoroiifjrh-hred so much ihe bet- 

 ter); his shoulders should be well sloped; his chest 

 low; his arms lonir and powerful, short Irom the 

 knee to the ground; his carcass or barrel round, 

 deep-ribbed, strong louis, and widely-spread, pow- 

 erful quarters; iowdroppinii' strong thighs; if his 

 sinews or tendons be large, strong, and well-de- 

 fined, he can scarcely fail to have sufficient bone. 



Such a form, it may justly be said, cannot tail 

 for any purpose; hackneys or roadsters, however, 

 are prelerred which exhibit more ofthe cob figure, 

 inasmuch as they are supposed to be capable of 

 enduring more fatigue; but the i;otion is erroneous; 

 the form for streuffth and speed being completely 

 mechanical, it tbllows, as a matter of course, that 

 the nicest and most com;)lete adjustment of the 

 pans cannot fiil to pro(luce the glrono-est, the 

 fleetest, and the most perfect aciiori; which conse- 

 quently will coiiiiimeto operate lor the greatest 

 length of time. 



In the purchase of a horse, an inspection be- 

 comes necessaiy; and if the purchaser does not 

 possess some knowledge of the busines, I would 

 strongly advise him to have rccource to the ad- 

 vice of a friend. Considerable practical experi- 

 ence is indispensably necessary before a good 

 judgment can be given of a horse. Horse deal- 

 ing, in the hands of many unpriacipled vagabonds, 

 in various parts of the country, is a regular organ- 

 ized sj'stem of swindling and robbery. 



In preference tohavinirthe horse brought out 

 of the stable, in the fir.Jt instance, [ would exam- 

 ine him in the stable. Let the groom stand at his 

 head. Look at or into liis eyes. II' the pupil he 

 considerably distended, and on coming to the light 

 contracts and looks clear, so that you can see into 

 it, or your own shadow reflected, the sight is good. 

 There is a disease of the eyes called gtitta sercna, 

 whi(di causes bhndness, yet the eyes look clear. 

 In t\\c\, when the horse is aiTli(;ted with gitlia 

 serena, his eyes assume one clear glassy appear- 

 ance; the pupil being tnnch dilated, without the 

 power of contraction. This may deceive an m- 

 diff'erent judge, or an inexperienced jierson; but on 

 a close and judicious inspection, this clearness 

 will be found a vacant stare, in which the eye 

 seems immoveable; and it is probable that in some 

 of these cases the animal is not totally blind, 

 though quite incapable of distiniruishing objects. 

 Cases of trilling cataract are not easily perceived 

 unless by an old practitioner. Pass your hands 

 down his fore legs, by which you will ascertain if 

 there be any splents upon them, or puffiness, or 

 windgalls about the lower part of them; and that 

 the hack tendon is strong and wpII defined, allow- 

 ing you to feel your thumb and finger between it 

 andthe bone. Take up his loot to see that it is 

 well formed, the heels open, and the wall thick, 

 strong, and upright. Cast your eye down his 

 back, by which you will be enabled to observe his 

 loins; tlien let him be brought out. Slop him as 

 he is about to leave the stable, just as his head is 

 protruded, so that the lisiht ti^lls into the eyes; you 

 will observe if the pupil contracts, as also if" "the 

 eve is clear and transparent. When the horse is 

 completely out of the stable, let the groom hold 

 him quite still, that you may have a deliberate 

 view or survey of his form; that you may see if 



his head be handsome, and well set on; that is, 

 not boring out, but dropping handsomely from 

 his neck. You will also observe the form of his 

 neck and withers; that the former is well formed 

 and comes handsomely Irom the body; the latter 

 properly raised. His carcass round, his chest 

 deep and broad, his arms powerful and long, leg 

 short from the knee, knees not broken, fetlock not 

 too much bent. Observe his quarters, wide- 

 spreading, thighs muscular and low, fillets broad, 

 his hocks free from capulct (capped hock, curbs or 

 blemish. Ids hind legs free from s|)avins, windgalls 

 or other diseases or blemishes; clear and tree fi-om 

 gumminess. Then seehim move orgo. Ifhis action 

 be quick, distinct and good, mount him, ride him 

 a mile or two, and if you become satisfied that the 

 horse will answer your purpose, purchase him if 

 the price hajipens to suit. Riding him a mile or two 

 will enable you to ascertain if he be affected with 

 piping, whistling, roaring, broken wind, &c. 



I have yet said nothing respecting his age. I 

 preler purchasing a horse seven or eight years old 

 to one younger, unless I know in what manner he 

 has been treated fiom early life. If he has been 

 subjected to severe labor or harsh treatment, or 

 both, he is thus rendered much more susceptible 

 of disease, and although a horse may exhibit every 

 appearance of soundness at four or five years old, 

 if he has been used in the manner just meniioned 

 — if he has been unreasonably and unnaturally 

 strained by exertion at so early a period — the ill- 

 efl'ects of such treatment will be very likely to 

 show themselves, in splents, in curbs, in spavins, 

 Ibunder, roaring, broken wind, &c. And on this 

 account the greater part of the Irish horses are to 

 be reijarded with suspicion: lew of them are with- 

 ont blemish. If. on the contrary, a horse has 

 been well and kindly treated from early lite, he 

 may be purchased at the age of four or five with- 

 out any extraordinary risk. When, however, a 

 horse has reached eight years old, free from any 

 serious disease or blemish, he is less liable to 

 splents, curhs, spavins, roaring, &c.. than he was 

 before lie had attained maturity; he will a'so have 

 acquired a knowledge of his business. The age 

 of a horse may be ascertained by the appearance 

 of his teeth until he reaches his sixth or seventh 

 year, and those who practice it will be able to form 

 a satisi'dctory opinion lor some^ years alterwards. 

 As the horse becomes older, his teeth increase in 

 length; and various tricks are |)layed to alter their 

 appeafance, to suit the sinister views of designing 

 horse dealers, none of which, however, can de- 

 ceive a well experienced eye. 



When a horse becomes very old, it may he as- 

 certained that he is so by his skin becoming less 

 elastic to the touch, however good his condilioa 

 may be. Also if you i'ee\ the joints of his tail, a 

 space between each will be plainly perceptible, if 

 the horse be very old; whereas in a young horse 

 the joints can scarcely be telt; and an opinion may 

 thus be formed ofthe atiimafs age, according to 

 the closeness or otherwise of these joints or sej)a- 

 rations. 



The hollowness above the eye is no absolute 

 criterion of the age of the horse, as it is found ia 

 many horses at an early period of lite. 



Horse dealers resort to various stratagems for 

 the purpose of flirthering their views. If a horse 

 be iame on one foot they will lame the other, in 

 order to prevent the lameness being observed; and 



