HOW TO BUY AND SELL. 69 



"Where horses are well-bred, dullness is more likely to 

 arise from a contraction of the bones than from a diminu- 

 tive nostril. 



Where speed and continuous labor, therefore, are re- 

 quired, the above two provocations to dullness should be 

 well looked into: even in thorough-bred horses we find 

 some imperfection or other; and it should be borne in 

 mind that a horse falling short of qualities sufficient for 

 making him a first-rate racer, may make a good country 

 hunter, or hackijey. For the hundredth time I say 

 Adapt a horse to the work best suited to his condition, 

 and all will be well. Of course this plan will sometimes 

 alter a horse's class, but, being equal to the work of the 

 class into which he is drafted, he is SOUND. 



Where disease creates dullness, he is 



MALFORMATIONS. 



Malformations are not an unsoundness unless the horse 

 is diseased or lame, or is prevented from doing the work 

 of the class to which he belongs. 



Where there is any doubt of the horse's ability to stand 

 the work of his class upon the supposition that the af- 

 fected part has not been permanently healed, the buyer is 

 naturally anxious to try the horse before he purchases 

 it. Now, as there seems to be very absurd ideas enter- 

 tained by many persons as to what may be done with 

 horses on trial, and as the subject is of much importance 

 to both buyer and seller, perhaps I cannot do better than 

 devote some space to it. 



THE TEIAL. 



Having satisfied yourself upon the general merits of the 

 horse, try him, and, whilst trying him, use him fairly, 



