143 



other respects, that I have kept hmi, in the hope 

 of curmg the disease by a winter's run in the wet 

 marshes, but I am far from sanguine as to his 

 recovery. It is a complaint that admits of rehef, 

 but is seldom cured. 



No man, if he can help it, will ever buy a mare 

 or harness : no dependence whatever can be placed 

 ipon them : they may be temperate and steady for 

 nonths, or even years, and yet when the season 

 u'rives, will kick your chaise to pieces. I drove a 

 , ittle mare for nearly a year with the galloway that 

 |[ have just been mentioning ; the following spring 

 •he kicked herself out of harness three times in the 

 course of as many weeks ! Purchasers are often 

 empted by their inferior price ; a mare, cccteris 

 mrihusj being generally five or ten pounds less va- 

 uable than a gelding ; but they forget that it is 

 his very capriciousness of character that reduces 

 heir value, because it unfits them for the collar. 



It can scarcely be necessary to remind a pur- 

 haser that any scar on the shoulders, or even 

 inder the tail, should lead to a suspicion of ten- 

 erness in those parts, not very consistent with 

 sngth of service in harness ; and in the same way 

 hat a blemished hock should excite a doubt whe- 

 her the splinter bar is not equally damaged. If 

 : can be managed, it would be prudent to see 

 horse driven in his master's stanhope, were it 



