THE HORSE. 129 



the wall-eyed horse never becomes blind ; an instance 

 of which indeed has not hitherto come within my 

 observation. 



Hereafter followeth the ceremony of inspection, 

 for the purpose of purchasing a horse. If from a 

 dealer, it is to the interest of the purchaser, as a 

 preliminary to bar figging or fundamental firing 

 with ginger ; the which, however it may render the 

 patient apparently active and showy, will likewise 

 contribute to hide defects from the buyer, as well as 

 to render the animal restless and skittish, and in an 

 improper state for a close and minute examination, 

 Thus it is safer to substitute — bar ginger for ware- 

 house ! The first should be a stable examination, 

 ever to be preceded indeed by the question, " Is 

 the horse quiet to go up to?" On this point, it may 

 not be amiss to observe, that there is a possible risk 

 of danger (I have experienced the reality) in walk- 

 ing along a stable gangway at the heels of strange 

 horses, some one of which, by ill-hap, may be a 

 kicker. This, naturally enough, leads to a kicking 

 comparison between the horse and the cow. The 

 horse salutes you with his heels thrown out straight- 

 forward behind ; the cow with one hoof directed late- 

 rally, or from her side, whence many a meal of milk 

 has perished which might have been saved, had 

 mother nature taught the cow to kick straight for- 

 ward, a tergOj like the horse. For the sequel, as to 

 the stable show, I make the following quotation from 

 the advice I gave many years since, to which I have 

 nothing of importance to add. 



g2 



