CHAPTER VIII 



BUYING A LIGHT HORSE AND WHAT TO AVOID IN 

 SELECTING THE SAME 



In the selection of a light horse, i.e. one required for work 

 in single or double harness, a good deal of judgment is 

 necessary, as this class of horse is much more liable to be 

 afflicted with diseases in connection with the tendons and 

 joints than in the case of the heavy draught horse. The 

 roadster or harness horse, the hunter, the trotter, and 

 the light van horse are all placed in this category for 

 selection, but the reader is referred to the chapters on 

 the various breeds for further information respecting 

 these. It is a much more difficult matter to obtain a 

 well-matched pair of horses than a single, and the prices 

 are generally considerably more. There is not, however, 

 the same demand now as formerly for pairs of carriage 

 horses, or even for harness horses of any kind, the motor 

 having largely supplanted the use of these animals. 

 Still, it is quite a reasonable assumption that horses will 

 always be employed both for business and pleasurable 

 occupations, though possibly it will diminish in extent. 



To begin with, there are various channels through 

 which purchase can be made, but the dealer, the horse 

 repository, and the private vendor are the usual sources. 

 Whenever possible purchase from the breeder is desirable, 

 but buying in this direct manner is seldom feasible. The 

 horse dealer has, unfortunately, through the motor had 

 to abandon his business in quite a number of instances, 

 consequently, there are fewer dealers of repute than 

 formerly. The horse dealer with a good reputation can 



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