How to Purchase a Horse. 43 



horses to be sound and quiet to ride or drive, &c. As so 

 much difference of opinion exists as to what constitutes 

 soundness or unsoundness in horses, most dealers of the 

 present day decline to warrant any horse sound, but allow 

 the purchaser to have him examined by any veterinary sur- 

 geon he may select, whose certificate that he is sound at 

 the time of purchase exonerates the dealer from all respon- 

 sibility in that respect. Most horses purchased out of a 

 dealer's stable are fat and short of work, and at first care 

 is requisite that they be used carefully and steadily, and 

 brought to work by degrees, or illness may probably result 

 to the horse and disappointment to the owner ; the dealer 

 not unfrequently getting the blame for what arises, not 

 from any fault of his, but from a want of knowledge or care 

 on the part of the owner in too soon putting him to work 

 for which he was not yet fit, and the ill effects of which a 

 little care, a few days' patience, and a mild dose of physic 

 would have prevented. 



In his choice of a horse the purchaser will of course be 

 guided by whether he wants one for riding or driving pur- 

 poses : if for the former, he will be particular that the shoul- 

 der lies well back, and if strong, not loaded at the top or 

 points that he has a good back, deep body, clean, flat, 

 wiry-looking legs, and free from large splints, curbs, spa- 

 vins, &c. ; that his feet are firm and of moderate size 

 neither large and flat, and therefore necessarily weak, nor 

 strong and narrow like those of a mule. When a horse has 

 natural feet of the latter description they are generally re- 

 markably sound, and will stand a great deal of work ; but, 

 as a rule, that shape is produced by internal disease, ren- 

 dering the horse unsound when put to work. 



If for driving purposes, he need not be so particular about 

 the shoulders ; for harness they may be stronger, heavier, 

 and more upright, as many make capital harness horses that 

 are, from their formation, very uncomfortable to ride. 



Having met with one suitable for his purpose, the pur- 

 chaser must not let a few pounds prevent him buying him, 

 if rather more than the price to which he had proposed to 

 go. For instance, an intending purchaser limits himself 

 to price, say ^"70; he sees one the very thing he wants for 



