IGNORANCE OF JUDGES AND DEALERS 127 



rare old stamp of racehorse, and a good horse across 

 country, named Paganini. 



Thus much for the age of a horse as indicated by 

 his mouth. It now remains for me to consider some 

 of the ills to which horses are liable. 



There are few subjects upon which people generally, 

 of all classes, from the nobleman to the stable-helper, 

 are so disinclined to receive advice as upon that of the 

 management of horses. Everyone considers his know- 

 ledge to be superior to that of anyone else. We are 

 all much the same, I fear, and consider ourselves to be 

 thoroughly conversant with the subject, albeit even 

 amongst appointed judges at shows there are very few 

 who are really well-informed on such matters as the 

 form, quality and value of a good hunter. The fact is 

 that assumed knowledge is worse than acknowledged 

 total ignorance. Even horse-dealers are not un- 

 frequently very ignorant of the subject on which they, 

 of all people, are supposed to be best informed, and 

 their knowledge is often very limited. 



There is, in fact, a great deal of ignorance as to the 

 structural qualifications necessary to ensure a horse 

 being swift, stout, and sound. A horse, like a man, 

 is a machine, the numerous bones constituting so many 

 levers, and the muscles and tendons attached to them 

 representing ropes, which connect them and enable 

 them to act in the direction required. 



Very much of the ignorance and prejudice which 

 exist is due to want of knowledge regarding the 

 anatomy of the horse, as also of those diseases to 

 which the animal is more or less subject. 



Of all the diseases to which horseflesh is heir, that 

 of glanders is surely the one to be most dreaded. The 



