54 How to Purchase a Horse. 



Defects, Diseases, and Faults to be avoided 

 in all Horses. 



A loose, weak neck. — Horses so formed are extremely 

 unpleasant to ride ; they get their heads up, cannot see 

 where they are going, and it is impossible to feel their 

 mouths. 



Twisted fore-legs. —Horses with this defect, when put 

 to work, hit the inside of the fetlock joint, and very often 

 under the knee as well. Both are highly dangerous, as 

 the parts soon become swelled and sore from repeated 

 blows, rendering the horse liable to fall. 



Capped hocks are very unsightly, but seldom cause lame- 

 ness. 



Diseased eyes, from any cause, are sure to terminate in 

 blindness. 



Stringhalt. — Catching up one or both the hind legs. 

 When considerable, it renders the horse very unpleasant 

 either to ride or drive. 



All bony enlargements of the joints — viz., spavin, ring- 

 bone, sidebones, &c, as causing lameness, very difficult 

 and doubtful of cure. 



Laminitis, or inflammation of the laminae, generally re- 

 sulting in pumiced or convex soles of the feet. 



Corns, unless small, as, if not properly treated, they are 

 very troublesome, often causing temporary lameness, and 

 rendering the horse cramped in his action, and liable to 

 fall. 



Chronic cough. — Frequently terminates in broken wind. 



Megrims. — An attack of giddiness, more or less violent, 

 that frequently attacks some horses, rendering them for 

 the time highly dangerous. Since condition has been 

 better understood, and horses are fed more on manger food 

 and do not have so much hay, megrims are not so common 

 as formerly. Fast free horses are more liable to it than 

 others. The cause is supposed to be determination of 

 blood to the head. 



Navicular disease. — Lameness in the navicular joint, 

 and incurable. 



An unnerved horse, as showing the horse's feet are dis- 



