11 



adduce it ; but the purchaser, who is prejudiced 

 against accepting it. This act on the purchaser's part 

 limits the proof he might demand ; for as attes- 

 tation is rejected by him, not denied to him, he is by 

 his conduct left without cause of complaint, and 

 bound to seek the evidence which he will accept. 

 Such evidence he looks for in the mouth of the ani- 

 mal, and is seldom deceived when capable of inter- 

 preting it. The teeth, in fact, are the only testi- 

 mony that his caution leaves him to decide upon ; 

 and it will be hereafter shown, that even when the 

 teeth are early in their development, the purchaser is 

 not virtually wronged. All men, however, seek to 

 arm themselves by suspicion, when dealing in horse- 

 flesh ; and the tricks that are played upon the teeth, 

 rise immediately to the mind. Such tricks certainly 

 are played, but they are assuredly more talked about 

 than practised. There is a superstitious idea afloat, 

 that breeders can make horses appear of any age they 

 please, by torturing the mouths of the poor animals. 

 The folly of such a belief will be exposed in another 

 part of this work ; it is sufficient for the present to 

 state, that the credulity of the public in this matter 

 has no foundation. A colt cannot be made by any 



