CIIIXKED BACK. 75 



it necessary to describe these different stances, or 

 ratlier states, of injured back ; but they range 

 from a state in which the animal may be able still 

 to perform light ^york, and that without pain to 

 himself, to one that shortly terminates in death. 

 In whatever stage of the injury any horse may 

 be, I strongly recommend my readers to reject him 

 at once, for I suppose myself addressing gentle- 

 men in this work, or at all events respectable 

 persons, and men of humanity. What certain 

 classes of the community may choose to purchase, 

 on a pound, shilling, and pence calculation of 

 turning it to account at the expense of proper 

 feeling, is quite another affair ; for it may, and 

 does often, pay to buy an afflicted animal and 

 work him to deatli. From such revoltlno- con- 

 duct and speculation we wdll turn away in dis- 

 gust, and only consider what may or may not be 

 purchased, with a proper regard to the animal 

 and to ourselves. 



I have said I would recommend the rejection 

 of a horse in every stage of injured back, and yet 

 have admitted he might be useful without pain to 

 himself. Why I would in such a case reject him 

 is, that if we are disposed or obliged to purchase 

 at a diminished price, there are dozens of cir- 

 cumstances that would reduce price, that I should 

 greatly prefer to an injury of the back. In the 

 first place, the idea of sitting on an injured part 



