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horses. In the case which I have just mentioned, 

 my horse certainly was eight years old when I 

 sold him ; but I have observed them in at least 

 four or five horses of the age of five and six, for 

 one that was aged. This very season I inspected a 

 lot of five-year-olds just arrived from the country, — 

 all high-priced horses : there was only one out of 

 five that did not show a decided splent. 



The next point to which I would direct a pur- 

 chaser's attention is " cutting." This means an 

 abrasion of the skin on one leg, by the striking or 

 brushing of the other. Even behind, this is no 

 trifling matter ; but if it occurs in the fore legs, it 

 is fatal to a horse's character, unless the wound is 

 I obviously recent, and can at once be explained by 

 an apparent defect in the shoeing. Sometimes, but 

 not often, it only proceeds from faulty action ; but 

 it usually argues a far more serious defect. The 

 cause of it is a debility in the leg, arising either 

 from old injury, or recent disease: an attentive 

 examiner will generally find a blemished knee the 

 accompaniment of a wounded ancle. There cer- 

 itainly are many cases in which a young horse, 

 recently brought up from a great distance in the 

 country, and whose action is green and untutored, 

 will be found to have cut himself severely, without 

 any visible affection of the limb. In such cases. 



