83 



nettled at my narrow scrutiny, which threatened 

 to disappoint his designs, 



^^ Tom/' he said to his ostler, " go to the tailor's, 

 and borrow his measure and shears for the gen- 

 tleman/' 



" And stop at the sadler's on your way, Tom, 

 and buy a halter for your master !" 



The retort told, coarse and trite as it was, and I 

 was allowed to finish my scrutiny in peace. I 

 detected no serious enlargement of the joint, but 

 I found a scar behind the pastern', just under the 

 fetlock, which implied that the horse had been 

 "nerved," and the man admitted it; but I must 

 honestly confess that I had been unable to discover 

 it by his action; and it was for this reason, perhaps, 

 that he had counted upon me as a fair subject of 

 ridicule. 



The examination of the leg and back sinews, is 

 a very important branch of a purchaser's duty, 

 and generally far less difficult to perform success- 

 fully, than either that of the foot or the fetlock joint. 

 Permanent injury to the leg is not easily concealed. 

 Before I advert to enlargement of the sinews, I 

 j will allude to a complaint called wind-galls, often 

 ' found just above the fetlock : they rather disfigure 

 jthan lame a horse, though when they attain a 

 I large size, they are inj urious ; they are occasioned 

 g2 



