PFECHASING.] 



THE HOESE, AND 



[PUECHASING. 



If, however, an animal likely to suit the pur- 

 pose for which he is wanted is seen, return the 

 next day, and take an opportunity of seeing him 

 ia the stable. A horse in his stall is, so tar as 

 it goes, one of the most satisfactory situations in 

 which he can be examined. By watching the 

 motions of his legs and feet, lameness may be 

 easily detected should it exist ; and so may his 

 quietness in the stable be tested. Much know- 

 ledge of his disposition may be traced in his 

 countenance, which, to the horse, as well as 

 to the man, forms a general index to his dis- 

 position. There is not a surer index. 



"We will now suppose that a suitable horse 

 has been seen, and that his price has been 

 ascertained, when the ceremony of examining 

 for purchase will commence. On being as- 

 sured that he is quiet to approach, you will 

 give some gentle warning with your voice, and 

 go up to him on his near (left) side, and 

 laying your hand on his forehand (to regard 

 bis height), you will proceed thence to examine 

 his eyes, mouth, and countenance ; still holding 

 his head, and turning your own to the right- 

 about, you have a view of the curve of his 

 neck, the height of his foreliaud, the position 

 of his shoulder, and the substance of his 

 forearm. Eeturning to his forehand, you 

 descend to his legs and feet, minutely ex- 

 amiuing with your fingers every part, from 

 above, below, withinside, and without, not 

 forgetting the knees, as the value of the ani- 

 mal depends much on their perfect state. 



Having satisfied yourself respecting his fore 

 parts, your eye will glance over his back, 

 girthing-place, carcass, and loins ; thence pro- 

 ceeding to his hind quarter, and the setting 

 on of his tail. Tou will judge how far he 

 agrees in each and every respect with those 

 rules of proportion already laid down in this 

 work. The hinder legs and feet will demand 

 a share of attention equally minute as the 

 fore ones ; nor should the inside or hollow of the 

 hock be passed by without careful examination, 

 since it often happens, that the injuries of 

 hard labour are most apparent in those parts. 

 A survey of the other side will complete the 

 stable examination. Some prefer examining 

 the eyes in the stable. To do this, place the 

 horse in such a position as will let the light 

 fall only in one direction, and see that they 

 are of the same size, and equally full; that the 

 168 



haws are not prominent, and that one does 

 not project more than the other; that the 

 eyes are perfectly clear and transparent, and 

 that their pupils are exactly alike in size as 

 well as in colour. 



Mr. John Lawrence, in speaking of the too 

 common practice of dealers using the whip, 

 gives the following caution, as well as ex- 

 presses his honest indignation at its practice. 



" Suffer no person belonging to the seller to 

 be with you in the stall — unless you know 

 and are well satisfied with the dealer's cha- 

 racter — during your inspection, that the horse 

 may not be rendered unquiet, either designedly, 

 or at the mere presence of an habitual tor- 

 mentor, A short time since, I had occasion 

 to examine an animal for a friend at the 

 stable of a considerable dealer. He was a 

 very beautiful and well-shaped nag, but, as 

 is commonly the hard fate of such, he ap- 

 peared to have done too much work. The 

 attendant, from a superabundant share of 

 regard to my safety, must needs hold his head 

 whilst I exanlined his legs, still assuring me 

 he was perfectly quiet. Nevertheless, every 

 time I attempted to feel below his knees, the 

 horse started, and flew about the stall in a 

 strange manner, to the no small risk of my 

 toes and shins. Whilst I stood musing and 

 wondering what could possibly ail the animal, 

 I discovered a short whip under the arm of 

 the jockey, with which he had, no doubt, 

 tickled the neck and chest of the horse, when- 

 ever I stooped down with the intent of 

 handling his legs. I wished this adept good 

 morning. 



"A fair quiet stable survey is a material 

 prelude, the horse being under none of that 

 excitement which will probably take place in 

 him when abroad upon the show ; unless, 

 indeed, he should have been previously subject 

 to that most barbarous stable discipline which 

 I, too often, witnessed in days of yore ; but 

 which, I hope, does not exist at the present 

 time — at least, not in so great a degree, or so 

 usually disgrace the conduct of our dealers, 

 I refer to the daily, probably hourly, attendance 

 of a fellow with a whip, who flogs and cuts the 

 horses up and down in their stalls, causing 

 them to jump and fly about as if mad; keeping 

 them in such a constant state of apprehension, 

 that they dread the approach of any human 



