88 THE HORSE. 



him, anxiety is manifested to purchase a horse who would 

 not, under other circumstances, be or be likely to be sold; 

 and in such instances the successful competitor runs con- 

 siderable risk. 



In spite of the unimportance in many cases, I think 

 it right to show what dangers and chances may occa- 

 sionally happen, as I have often been questioned on the 

 subject. 



A short time since, two gentlemen were, at the same 

 time, considering about buying a horse that was just then 

 in physic, with a view to the preparation for a match in 

 which he was engaged. One of the gentlemen had of- 

 fered to purchase the horse as soon as the medicine had 

 worked off: the other, in the meantime, consulted me as 

 to what consequences might be apprehended,- and, after 

 I had examined the horse, and had satisfied myself as to 

 his appearance, bought the horse, much to the chagrin 

 of his more cautious rival. 



STRANGLES. 



It is frequently a matter for deliberation whether it 

 would be advisable to buy a horse laboring under stran- 

 gles (in whatever stage the disease may happen to be), or, 

 in some cases, whether it would be prudent to purchase a 

 horse which, though not actually afflicted with this dis- 

 ease at the time, yet shows symptoms of its approach. 



In aged horses the appearance of strangles must be 

 noted with some suspicion, as the horse generally has the 

 .disease while young, and very rarely more than once, 

 while the older horse is more subject to glanders, which 

 is sometimes mistaken for strangles. Strangles may so 

 debilitate an old horse as to degenerate into glanders . 



Strangles is a disease which, if properly attended to on 

 its first appearance, rarely terminates fatally in the result 



