ON THE PURCHASE OF THE HORSE. 2 i 



one knowing anything about horses. I would not advise 

 any one to purchase a horse with anything the matter with 

 his wind, as it is pretty sure to become worse. 



It is well also to feel the pulsations of the horse's heart,, 

 inasmuch as a lurking disease may exist there of which 

 the seller himself is ignorant. The best place to examine 

 the beating of the heart is immediately behind the elbow, 

 on the left side ; the hand applied flat against the ribs 

 will enable you to determine the number of pulsations. 

 The ear also so applied will give you the regularity or 

 irregularity of the same. A bounding action is an 

 evidence of something wrong ; a quickened and irregular 

 respiration is also an evidence of disease. Just here a few 

 words on the subject of the pulse : a horse's pulse in perfect 

 health should beat about thirty-four times to the minute ; 

 to feel that, apply the ringer to the lower jaw, where, or a 

 little behind where the submaxillary artery, vein, and 

 parotid duct come from under the jaw, or close up to 

 the lower part of the neck, the pulse is easily counted 

 and its character determined. On the side where some 

 feel the pulse it can be counted, but its character not so 

 well determined, as there is no hard body to press against, 

 such as the jaw-bone. A pulse of forty-five to fifty-five 

 indicates fever to some extent, from sixty to seventy-five a 

 decidedly high case of fever, from that upwards it becomes 

 more dangerous at every pulsation. A horse seldom lives 

 after his pulse reaches a hundred. If the pulse is over 

 forty or forty-five you had better reject him, in view of his 

 being in a feverish condition. It is also important to 

 know how to determine his pulse, as it may happen in the 

 course of time, to save his life, that bleeding should be 

 resorted to ; then your knowledge will be of service in 

 letting you know when he is becoming weak, as you should 

 then stop the flow. 



