HOW TO MAKE MONEY BY HORSES. 201 



soundness uninjured; he is bought, and some months 

 afterwards is lame : this is the old affair come against 

 him, which was not suspected, whereas a good judge 

 would anticipate that such would be the result. 



Of all things, that which is the least understood by- 

 persons in the country is soundness ; of all men (that 

 is honest ones) of whom I might buy a horse, there 

 is no one I should doubt more as to his horses being 

 sound than the farmer — his opinion in such matters is 

 not worth a farthing, for he really knows not whether 

 the horse is sound or not ; of any incipient disease, 

 or indication of one, they are totally ignorant. Such 

 persons will perhaps find out, or be told of it, that 

 their horse is going, as the term is, a ''little stiff" 

 on his hind leg : they suppose it is a little strain, 

 but expect it will go off again ; but when he becomes 

 dead lame, they send for a veterinary surgeon, who 

 at once pronounces it a veritable spavin, or curb ; 

 the only circumstance that awakens their attention 

 to any lameness, is the horse being unable to continue 

 his work. 



It is thus that persons accustomed to ride inferior 



