38 EXAMINATION OF HORSES 
decline to purchase the horse,” or something to that 
effect. The dealer would have been incensed against 
me, and the intending purchaser would have missed a 
really good bargain. The mere accident of my personally 
knowing the purchaser, and of being abie to wait upon 
him, are not available in many~cases. | Take another 
case. The same dealer as in last case had bought a 
horse with-his knee ‘‘ chipped,” that is, the hair was cut: 
and the skin a little bruised, and had to keep the horse 
on his hands for nearly five months before he could pre- 
sent him as a sound horse, and procure a certificate 
accordingly. It was five months before the signs of the 
injury were obliterated. These are cases of unsoundness 
pro tem., but are not so physically but only through a 
rotten vagueness of a term. These very trivial cases, 
along with the graver defects I have mentioned, are at. 
least clear to us, and we can estimate them at their 
proper value. In the very slightest cases we can at the 
‘most advise the owner to wait a few months for the evi- 
dences to become obliterated. It seems to me that I 
have a good opportunity now of offering a piece of advice 
which will, if followed, be of real service, and save you 
from much unmerited blame. It is to assure you that 
there is a wide difference between a veterinarian’s certifi- 
cate and a business letter, much more a friendly letter ; 
and when you are going to put a good deal of qualifying 
matter into a certificate, it is in many cases best to pre- 
pare the recipient by a friendly letter sent first, that is, of 
course, when you are not able to wait on him personally. 
