now TO BUY A HORSE. 29 



titles of liay out of the rack, throw it clown, eat it slowly, and at 

 intervals, scciuingly hstcnint;; as if surprised. They keep their food 

 in the mouth for a long time Avithout swallowing it, and ha^■e a dull, 

 fixed look ; they also push their heads against the wall, or into a dark 

 corner. It is an often-practised trick with dealers to drop some oil 

 into the ears of such horses, or a little cayenne pepper applied to the 

 passage, to make them look attentive and spirited. Broken-winded 

 horses have a short, dull cough, with a double beating of the flanks. 



Are the horse's feet on a level, and one hip higher than the other ? 

 then he is one-sided. If perceptible in any other position, it must be 

 the result of disease in the muscular jjart of the croup. 



Stiff hairs in the tail, and bare places on the same, indicate itching ; 

 sore spots, suppurated sores, or scabs, betray the scab. Horses with 

 visible or invisible spavin, are loath to step from one side to the 

 other. Wind-galls seldom impair the usefulness of the animal. 



Clap of the sinews betrays itself through swelling and pain in the 

 tendon, hindering the horse from stepping firmly, which ultimately 

 results in a stiff foot. 



The mallenders, apjiearing mostly in the hind pastern-joints, are 

 recognized by more or less deep cracks and sores, emitting an un- 

 pleasant, bad-smelling fluid. This sign distinguishes it from wounds 

 caused by overreaching. Neglected cracks, with warts covered with 

 stiff, bristly hairs, are the indication of malignant mallenders, known 

 under the name of crown-scab. The hinder hoofs should be well 

 examined, particularly the coronet, to see about wounds from striking. 

 Look well at the frog, to see if there are any iilcers or cancer ; the 

 latter disease may be considered incurable. 



The examination or the horse, outside the stable, relates 

 jjarticularly to eyes, muzzle, and nose. The contraction and expan- 

 sion of the pupil of the eye deseixes special attention. Amaurosis 

 may be recognized by an immovable pupil, and a beautiful black col- 

 oring of the eye. 



Albugo may be detected by a speck, of a Avhite or mother-of-pearl 

 color, in the eye, or a turbid look of the same. Closed eyelids, with 

 inflammation and watery flow, are mostly the cause of some hay or 

 dust, or even of whii)-cuts, and seldom dangerous. The last-men- 

 tioned cause is frequently adduced by unprincii)lcd horse-dealers, 

 as a pretext to conceal more dangerous evils ; and the utmost cau- 

 tion is needed. Slight inflammation and dimness of the eye result, 

 sometimes, from the shedding of the teeth. Is one eye smaller than 

 the other, it indicates impaired or lost sight. Wrinkles in the upper 



