PREFACE. 



There is no species of traffic in which the 

 purchaser runs greater risk, exposes himself 

 to more imposition, and experiences more 

 disappointment, than in that of horse-dealing. 

 There is none in which so little confidence 

 is placed in the seller ; and, generally speak- 

 ing, there is none in which greater ignorance 

 is displayed by both, in judging of the sound- 

 ness of the commodity. The buyer inquires 

 " is the horse sound?" the seller replies 

 " warranted sound," and makes himself re- 

 sponsible for it by giving a written certificate. 

 As the word sound forms such an important 

 part of the contract, we might expect that 

 its meaning would be welt defined, and clearly 

 understood in the same sense by both parties. 

 But no such thing; on the contrary, not two 



