GOOD CARE 



79 



bluish color. The mouth should be looked at as to age and bad teeth, 

 which mean poor mastication. The tongue should be healthy and without 

 offensive odor. Notice if glands are enlarged or grow fast to adjoining 

 tissues. Look to the eye; shade it and expose it quickly to light to see if 

 the pupil dilates naturally; it should also be free from specks and cloudiness, 

 though the regular "spot-spots" are natural and should not be noticed. 

 Examine the eye for discharges and inflammation. 



The throat should be free from any thickness or enlargement of the 

 glands. Examine the head for any evidence of Poll Evil and for swelling, 

 and see if the horse will easily allow the bridle and halter. Examine the 

 withers for fistulas, running sores, tumors, galls, collar boils, and sweeny. 

 Look for capped elbow or shoe boils. See if the knee has a bony enlargement, 

 or scars which would indicate stumbling. Look for all scars or bunches 

 showing hitting or "interfering" of opposite feet in action. Feel for splints 

 on the inside of the fore leg and for bony bunches on the outside. See 

 that back tendons are smooth and that the animal is not knee-sprung as it 

 stands squarely on its feet. Watch out for "firing" marks indicating past 

 lameness. The fetlock and pastern joints should be examined for ring- 

 bones, bunches, etc. Lameness is often disguised by hypodermic injections 

 of cocaine, so watch out for small puffy places over the large nerves. Scars 

 at these points would indicate that the animal has been "nerved," which is 

 usually the operation of cutting the nerve for navicular disease. At the 

 top of hoof on either side, see that the lateral cartilages are not ossified, 

 forming sidebones. See that the walls of the hoof show no evidence of 

 seedy toe, sand cracks, or quarter cracks. Examine the bottom of the foot 

 for corns and the cleft of the frog for thrush. 



Now go over the side and belly looking for tumors and hernia; and, 

 in the male, the penis and sheath should be looked to for tumors and 

 disease. The muscles of the hip should be examined for scars, and the 

 stifle joint for enlargement or 

 tenderness that would point to 

 stifle. Examine the hock joint 

 for capped hock, curb, etc. 

 Look for both bone spavin and 

 bog spavin. At the point of the 

 hock look for thorough-pin. 

 Below the hock look for ring- 

 bone, scratches and foot dis- 

 eases. Now take the other side 

 in the same manner. 



Look for symmetry of both 

 sides; the hips, legs, nostrils, 

 lips, eyes, etc. Listen to lung and heart action. See if head and tail are 

 carried squarely and you have a good idea of the worth of the animal. 



Too/rb}.iri 



BREED MORE But the best thing is to breed more and buy less. 

 BUY LESS Buying is a habit, often a bad one. There is no 



reason why the average farmer should not benefit him- 

 self and livestock breeding by raising colts for his own use and for market. 

 Figure the profit of the average farm with a few serviceable mares put to 

 pure-bred sires, and a few good colts every year well fed, trained well and 

 sold, say at about five years of age, when well broken to work. This 

 country is coming more and more to be recognized as the best for horses. 

 The United States actually lead? the world in horse breeding today; but 

 she doesn't know it! 



