THE HORSE BUYING AND SELLING. 597 



to ascertain his natural strength, endurance, and manner of going. 

 Unsoundness, we repeat, has reference only to disease or to 

 that alteration of structure which is connected with or will pro- 

 duce disease, and lessen the usefulness of the animal." 



Vices and Disabilities. Any thing that lessens the 

 horse's power to labor detracts from his value. There are some 

 things which offend the eye only, but do not lessen the power to 

 work. A rat tail offends the eye, but does not injure the horse 

 for work. For a horse-power or bark-mill a blind horse may do 

 better than one with good eyes; but for general work or driv- 

 ing, blindness or weak eyes may be named as a serious disa- 

 bility. A lame horse is useless; a vicious horse is dangerous. 

 The tail carried to one side, or the tongue lolled, may not offend 

 one buyer or injure the animal for labor, but detract from value, 

 so it is difficult to sell him. We may name a few vices and 

 disabilities the buyer must avoid. 



RESTIVENESS. This comes from bad handling and from a too 

 eager disposition. It tells of a nervousness or impatience that 

 develops easily into a multitude of vices, such as rearing, back- 

 ing, bolting, balking, and even viciousness in shoeing, when 

 badly handled. The restive horse is easy to be made an invet- 

 erate balker. It is difficult to cure when it becomes a con- 

 firmed vice. Gentleness and patient firmness of the trainer 

 must cure and prevent. Many an ambitious horse is ever ready 

 to start, unless he has been taught never to start until the word 

 is given. It is easy to train the average horse not to start until 

 the lines are drawn and the word given. Horses are usually 

 less to blame than the drivers for the habit of starting too soon. 



BITING is evidence usually of a cross disposition. Yet many 

 horses have acquired it from the vile and inexcusable habit of 

 boys and grooms teasing them. 



KICKING is a vice that is intolerable, and difficult to prevent 

 in some strains of horses. Too often, however, it is the result 

 of carelessness in allowing the habit to become confirmed. The 

 fact that the young horse kicks when first put in harness 

 should not discourage the trainer, but lead to great care to pre- 

 vent its repetition, for it is a habit easily confirmed. 



