512 HORSE-DEALING. 



days after his arrival in Leicestershire, whither he 

 was led by the side of another horse, he fell lame 

 in a fore-foot ; and it proved an incurable case of 

 navicular disease. The disease, in its incipient 

 state, no doubt existed when he purchased the harse, 

 and the journey (only at the rate of 25 miles per 

 day, at a foot's pace,) produced lameness; but as he 

 could not pro'ce the horse had been lame premously to 

 his hamng purchased him^ (although he observed to 

 his owner that he appeared to favour the foot in 

 his stall,) he could not return him as unsound. 



The other was the case of a cart-horse, purchased 

 at Reading May-day fair. The owner so continued 

 matters, that he (the purchaser) never was per- 

 mitted to see the near side of the said horse's 

 body, although, of course, he examined him in 

 front and behind. When he arrived at his house, 

 he proved to be striped on that side, like the 

 Zebra, by severe lashings of a whip, he being the 

 " rankest gibber,'' to use a horse-market term, that 

 perhaps ever was foaled. Strange, however, to say, 

 it was only when put to a waggon or cart that he 

 would gib ; a better plough-horse no man need re- 

 quire. 



Another case may be quoted, in which the author 

 was able to return a horse (and these are the only 

 two instances in which he considered himself en- 

 titled to do so,) under somewhat unusual circum- 

 stances. He gave the late Mr. Stroud, the cele- 

 brated Oxfordshire dealer, 180 guineas for a horse, 

 on condition that his hocks (which looked suspi- 

 cious,) should stand sound on trial with hounds. 



