62 ADVICE TO BUYERS, 



lie has use of it, he will swing it, or you may feel it, and 

 easily detect if he has any use of it. Before you complete 

 your examiuation, take a step to the side of the animal, 

 and place your hand over the loius, and press steadily ; do 

 not insert your finger-nails into the horse's flesh, and ex- 

 claim, ^' He flinches !" but press steadily, and if a horsCj 

 and he gives or crouches, it is suspicious that he either is 

 affected in his kidneys, or that he has received some injury 

 that may at a future time render him unfit for work ; if it 

 be a mare, then, before you reject her, her crouching must 

 be considerable, and she must evince some degree of pain, 

 as most mares will crouch a little on pressure on their kid- 

 neys, especially during their season. 



As to age, I shall treat of it in another place, but it is 

 always advisable -to have the ago of the horse expressed 

 on the warranty, as you can then avail yourself of the first 

 opportunity that offers of obtaining correct information on 

 the subject, and, if you have been deceived, you will have 

 the right to return the animal. 



Mr. Spooner says '^ that he has known persohs so cau- 

 tious, when about to purchase a horse, as to examine the 

 neck, and if they find marks of his having been bled often, 

 they suspect, sometimes justly, that he has had some se- 

 rious complaint. They have also thought it necessary to 

 inspect the chest, 'belly, and thighs, or the parts where 

 rowels or setons are usually placed, and if they observe 

 the marks which generally remain after roweling, they 

 suspect it was done for a complaint of the eyes, when the 

 mark is under the throat, or between the branches of the 

 under jaw-bone ; and if in other parts, for what they term 

 humors, that is, swelling of the legs, or grease." 



Having fininshed our examination of the horse as it re- 

 lates to soundness, wo have next to inquire if he has any 



