892 THE EXTERIOR OF THE HORSE. 



should be aware, for the unscrupulous dealer will not hesitate to resort 

 to them whenever he thinks it to his interest to do so. 



h. When the horse is ready to be sold, he is either placed in a 

 special stable or is taken to a public market. Here the seller will 

 spare no device of ornamentation to attract the attention of the visitor. 

 All his animals are covered with similar blankets, more or less rich- 

 looking, with wide colored borders, and each bearing his monogram. 

 Every animal is provided with a variegated girth, as well as a leather 

 halter, white, yellow, red, green, or blue, its shade contrasting strongly 

 with that of the coat. Ribbons of glaring colors are sometimes attached 

 to the halter or the bridle, the forelock, the mane, and the base of the 

 tail. Bands of linen regularly rolled around the canons and the fet- 

 locks, knee-caps, and ear-caps of linen or netting are also seen. It is 

 customary, in the market or on the exhibition ground, to fasten a bunch 

 of straw to the mane and one to the base of the tail to indicate that the 

 horse is for sale. This display is by no means always a mere advertise- 

 ment. It is much more likely to be a blind to conceal various defects 

 and irregularities of conformation. The ear-caps straighten the ears, 

 the blinds of the bridle conceal the eyes, the blankets bring the shade 

 of the coat into strong relief, hide defects of conformation, and 

 diminish the apparent length of the body, the knee-caps conceal the 

 knees, the bands cover splints, windgalls, etc. On several occasions 

 we have seen, in the Paris market, intractable or vicious horses sub- 

 dued and rendered docile by use of a small twitch supported behind 

 one of the branches of the bit, or attached to the side of the bridle or 

 the halter. The best way to protect one's self against all these tricks 

 is to examine the horse with the blanket and all other appurtenances 

 removed, and to pay no attention to the dealer's talk. 



2. THE PURCHASER. 



The purchaser should, above all, know exactly what he wishes to 

 buy, that is, he should know the kind of service the horse is intended 

 for, the animal's gaits, size, conformation, sex, age, and coat, and the 

 price which he is willing to pay for him. It is also important that he 

 should have been prepared for the making of his purchase, either by 

 long practice, great ability, an old routine or by study aided by obser- 

 vation, for the time has come when he must avail himself of all the 

 special knowledge he possesses. 



The most elementary prudence at once commands him to purchase 

 only a healthy horse, or, at least, one with no diseases, either acute or 



