258 CONDITION, AND GOOD LOOKS. 



" rough-Up," his lungs resumed a tranquil form of breathing, 

 when he had rested or (better still) had been walked about 

 for a few minutes, and if he did not show any appearance of 

 being distressed by the severity of the work, we might fairly 

 conclude that his " pipes " were in good order. Trainers 

 generally think that the fact of a horse " blowing his nose " 

 (as a kind of sneeze which these animals sometimes make 

 after a quick " spin," is called) is a sign of his wind being all 

 right. I may also point out that if a horse's wind is not 

 " clear," he will be unable to quickly " come again," if he gets 

 out of breath during a run, even if he be "eased off" for a 

 little, with the object of letting him " catch his second wind." 

 If a strong gallop has the effect of making a horse unusually 

 thirsty, we may doubt that his lungs are in good order. To 

 test whether or not a horse is a roarer, we had best, imme- 

 diately after the animal has done some fast or severe work, 

 apply the ear close to one of his nostrils. 



I may remark that large calibre and thinness of the walls 

 of the nostrils, which condition^^redisposes a horse to "high 

 blowing " {see Veterinary Notes for Horse-owners), is a sign 

 that the animal's organs of breathing are naturally good. 



4. Signs of condition manifested by the state of the sweat. — 

 The fatter a horse is, the thicker and more greasy will be his 

 sweat. When a horse is in condition, his sweat will come off 

 like water, will have lost the saline taste it previously had, 

 and, unless the animal is in a state of excitement, it will dry 

 on the skin with extreme quickness, as soon as the work 

 which had opened the pores, has been stopped. If a horse 

 which has no excess of fat in his system, shows a tendency to 

 sweat on very slight provocation of work or " closeness " of 

 atmosphere, and if the perspiration thus induced, takes a 



