4 MANUAL OF FARM ANIMALS ■ 



miliar with the fact that a few white hairs on the knee may 

 indicate that the animal stimibles, and yet when examin- 

 ing the horse entirely overlook them ; in like manner, he may 

 know that gray hairs on the inside of the pastern may indicate 

 that the animal interferes, and yet the white hairs go wholly 

 mmoticed. The difficulty is often increased by the salesman 

 attempting to cover up such signs, and this should serve to put 

 the prospective purchaser on his guard. 



Having noted the desirable and undesirable qualities of the 

 animals under consideration, a mental picture of each should 

 be retained, for it often happens that in the choice of a horse 

 many animals are examined before one is found that is accept- 

 able. Many hve-stock judges, particularly poultry fanciers, 

 have this faculty developed to a marked degree. It often 

 happens that they are called on to judge large rings of ani- 

 mals, fifty or more in a single class, and to be able to place 

 these animals properly they must remember each of the ani- 

 mals, as it is impossible to see them all at a glance. Again, 

 retaining such a picture of horses is of value in matching 

 teams. A well-matched team is far more valuable than if 

 each animal is sold separately. There are those who make a 

 business of buying animals singly, matching them, and selling 

 the team thus matched. This is a very profitable business, 

 a few transactions each year often netting a good sum. 



After having examined a number of horses, good, bad, and 

 indifferent, some of them filling the demand in part only, and 

 some not at all, the judgment is brought into play to decide 

 on the price. Perhaps one animal answers every demand, but 

 the price is high; another does not please so well, but the price 

 is low. Again, when judging a ring of animals, one must use 

 the judgment as to which of two defects is the more serious. 

 The judgment can and should be trained in much the same 

 way as the power of observation and the ability to retain mental 

 pictures. 



