viii PREFACE. 



might escape attention in the absence of any examination 

 prior to a purchase or sale. For instance, glanders, skin 

 diseases, such as mange, etc., would, of course, be so obvious 

 that any description of them must necessarily be quite 

 superfluous in a work of this scope. 



Every effort has been made to avoid the use of technical 

 terms, and when any other terms than those of a purely 

 technical character could not be found as sufficiently 

 precise, the author has taken care that the popular terms 

 should also be given. 



It is unfortunately only too often the case that the buying 

 and selling of horses not infrequently lead to disputes. For 

 the assistance of buyers and sellers equally the main facts 

 relating to warranty, breach of warranty, representation, etc., 

 have been given in this book, and the author hopes that they 

 may be the means of settling disputes which otherwise might 

 drift into the courts of law. 



It may well be argued that for anyone to purchase a horse 

 without professional assistance is to be " penny wise and 

 pound foolish." 



The author certainly holds this view, and would advise any 

 intending purchaser to consult a member of the Royal 

 College of Veterinary Surgeons whenever it may be possible 

 to do so. Circumstances, however, may sometimes render 

 this not only inconvenient but even impossible, and it is 

 just in such cases that the value of this book should be 

 felt. 



F. T. BARTON. 



February, 1907. 



