292 Management and Treatment of the Horse. 



it, as with the old iron and the most careful 

 operator it was impossible to prevent some from 

 sloughing. When the cornea of the eye is of a 

 yellowish tinge, it is indicative of liver complaint ; 

 this being observed, turn up the lips and notice 

 if the under portion of the lips is of the same 

 colour; if so, avoid the purchase of the animal. 

 If the coat of a horse stares, it is a sure sign that 

 the animal is not in good health ; it will be 

 noticed that their dung is either hard, dark- 

 coloured, foetid, and slimy, or thin and washy 

 like a cow. When not disturbed such animals 

 have a languid and sleepy appearance, but dealers 

 take care before showing them to temporarily 

 rouse them from their lethargic condition by 

 what they term '^figging " them, that is, by forcing 

 ginger up the anus, putting salt into its mouth, 

 and an application of the whip. Go through a 

 dealer's stable, and as soon as the voice of 

 the dealer is heard, all the horses are on the 

 alert ; they know he does not carry his whip in 

 his hand for nothing. Who ever saw a dealer 

 without a whip ? No, without his whip he would 

 be like a pump without a handle. No sooner 

 does the master or one of his men enter the 

 stable, than the horses begin to raise their tails, 

 champ at their bits, and assume all the appear- 

 ance of good health and spirits ; in the meantime 

 the dealers use all their claptrap eloquence to 

 induce the novice to believe the animals are the 

 best in Britain, and they are too often successful 

 in inducing their intended victim into that belief. 

 Indeed, like old Tailor Sharp, of Melton Mowbray, 



