CH. XIII.] 



NOSE-HOW JUDGED OF. 



213 



ster he may never be worth his keep. Therefore, though a man 

 may in five minutes decide upon purchasing the horse, he would act 

 very imprudently if he ventured upon buying the dog before he had 

 seen him hunted ; * unless indeed he feels well-justified confidence 

 in the ability of the party who broke him in, and is also satisfied 

 with the character, as a sportsman, of the person who has since shot 

 over him. 



365. No dog can be worth a large sum, or should be considered 

 perfectly made, that cannot be hunted in perfect silence, that is 

 not good at finding dead or wounded birds, and that is not sure to 

 point them when found. If in his transverse range he keep his 

 head to windward it is a good sign, for it evinces his consciousness 

 that it is in the breeze he should seek for an intimation of the 

 vicinity of game. As to the excellence of his nose, this can only 

 be fully ascertained by experience, and by comparing him in the 

 field with other dogs ; but some opinion may be formed by observing 

 whether on first winding game he confidently walks up to his point 



It might with profit be studied by 

 any youngster wishing to form his 

 eye, and know what, on an en- 

 larged scale, should be the build 

 of a real hunter, an animal fitted 

 for every kind of work. The Arabs 

 so much prize a short back and 

 lengthy quarters, that they have 

 a proverb to the effect that a horse 

 which measures the same from the 

 hip-bone to the end of his croupe, 

 that he does from the hip-bone to 

 the withers, is a blessing to his 

 master. Another assertion of theirs 

 is, that all their fastest horses 

 measure less from the middle of 

 the withers to the setting on of 

 the tail, than they do from the 

 middle of the withers to the ex- 

 tremity of the nose, or rather 

 extremity of the upper lip. This 

 measurement is supposed to be 

 taken along the crest of the neck, 

 over the forelock, and between 

 the eyes. 



It is sometimes so difficult to 

 get a horse into condition, and the 

 following recipe, given me by an 

 old cavalry officer who is an ex- 

 cellent stable-master, is so admi- 



rable, that I need not apologize 

 for inserting it : 



" Give three 1 ounces of cold 

 drawn linseed-oil in a cold inash 

 every alternate night for a fort- 

 night. If you judge it advisable, 

 repeat the same after an interval 

 of a fortnight. The good effects 

 of the oil are not immediately 

 visible, but in about a month the 

 horse's coat will become glossy, 

 and he will commence putting up 

 good hard flesh." 



The daily rubbing in a portion 

 of the following ointment into a 

 horse's hoof (especially after exer- 

 cise in moist ground, and on re- 

 moval of wet bandages, before any 

 evaporation can take place,} will 

 prevent, indeed cure, brittleness 

 that constant precursor of con- 

 tracted feverish feet : 



Tar (not Coal Tar;. 



Soft Soap. 



Soap Cerate. 



Hog's Lard. 



4 Ib. of each well mixed together 

 over a very slow fire. 



* Amidst sheep too. 



1 20 oz. s= 1 imperial pint. 



