129 



and if he shows symptoms of age, its appearance 

 at all should be viewed with suspicion : but from 

 ten or eleven years the tushes elongate themselves 

 very considerably, and when a few years more 

 I advanced, all the front teeth assume a lengthy and 

 uneven character, far too distinct to allow of im- 

 position on the most inexperienced buyer. The 

 trick of cauterizing the teeth is usually practised 

 on horses under nine : and except with a view to 

 sell again, the loss of the mark or the creation of 

 a false one, is of little consequence, unless the 

 animal shows other signs of severe w^ork, or of 

 being stale y as it is commonly called : for my own 

 part I would prefer a horse of eight years old for 

 work, to one of six, if I could be sure that he had 

 been fairly treated; but it too often happens in 

 dealers' horses that " all their work is taken out of 

 them," even before they are six : at least four-fifths 

 are injured permanently by being set to work too 

 early in life. 



It is not often that a glandered horse is found in 

 a dealer's stables : the disorder is now acknow- 

 ledged to be contagious, and its symptoms are too 

 , decided to allow even accident to bring him there. 

 ; It may not however be amiss to mention the more 

 ! obvious of these symptoms, to guard a purchaser 

 I against the accidental admission of such an animal 



K 



