64 ADVICE TO BUYERS. 



the reader that we rarely meet with a horse that is in every 

 respect perfect ; and though, from the high price of the an- 

 imal, it is necessary to be very cautious, yet it is possible, 

 perhaps, to carry our caution too far ; that is, there may be 

 some trifling imperfection, such as a small splint, which is 

 not worth noticing. One caution I always think necessary, 

 however perfect the horse may appear, and that is, to have 

 the receipt and warranty in the handwriting of the seller, 

 stating that the horse is warranted sound, and free from 

 vice, &c, &c. 



The next caution, or exposure of the various devices 

 practiced by the tricky horse-dealer, I shall now place be- 

 fore the reader. 



When a dealer finds that his horse has a bad cough, and 

 he expects some greenhorn, as they call those persons who 

 are inexperienced in the art of horse-trading, to be there 

 the next day to try the horse, he will administer two 

 drachms of powdered opium the night before ; and, on the 

 morning of the day that the purchaser is expected, three 

 and sometimes four drachms are given. This mediciue acts 

 to check the irritation for a day or so, therefore the cough 

 is perfectly absent on the day that he is purchased ; and 

 if, after a day or two, the purchaser finds that he has a, 

 horse with a very severe cough, he will go to the seller and 

 make the statement ; but unless the purchaser can prove 

 that medicine was given the horse in order to deceive him, 

 he has no redress. 



In many instances a dealer will have a horse with a dis- 

 charge from his nostrils, but knows well enough that to 

 offer such a horse would be the means of exciting a sus- 

 picion that the animal might be getting glanders, or some 

 other serious disease j he will, therefore, administer four 

 drachms sulphate of iron three times a day, and keep the 



