ON SOUNDNESS. 467 



Biting, when carried to any unusual extent. 



Bolting or running away.- 



Crib-biting. 



Kicking, when more than usual. 



Besti VENESS, or refusal to proceed in the desired direction. 



Bearing. 



Shying, when marked. 



Weaving in the stable. 



When a horse is purchased with the conditions that he is 

 warranted sound, or free from vice, or quiet to ride and drive, the 

 warranty must either be in writing, or given in the presence of a 

 disinterested third person. The form of warranty is as follows, and 

 it is better that it should be on the same paper as the stamped 

 receipt, though this is not absolutely necessary if it is shown that 

 the receipt is properly given. 



Date. 



Beceived of A. B. C. fifty pounds for a bay gelding, by Small- 

 hopes, warranted five years old, sound, free from vice, and quiet to 

 ride and drive. 



50?. X. Y. Z. 



Any one or more of these points may be omitted, or the horse may 

 simply be warranted " a good hack," in which case he must fairly 

 answer that description. The terms " has been hunted," or " has 

 carried a lady," are not to be trusted, as it is only necessary to 

 prove in defence that the horse has seen hounds, and had a woman 

 on his back. 



Whether the horse under examination is to be war- 

 ranted or not, the intending purchaser should never omit to look 

 over every point where unsoundness is likely to occur. To do this 

 effectually it should be done regularly, by which there is less chance 

 of passing over any serious defect. The usual mode of proceeding 

 is as follows. Under no circumstances, if it can possibly be avoided, 

 should the horse be looked at immediately after having been out of 

 doors ; and if he is of necessity brought to the purchaser, let him 

 be put in the stable and quietly rested for one or two hours at the 

 least, by which time the effects of most of the " coping " tricks 

 will have gone off. 



Before the horse passes the stable-door, stop him with 

 his head just inside, and in that position carefully examine his eyes. 

 The light is exactly suited to this, and the sensibility of the iris 

 may be well judged of. Any specks or opacities are also here 

 readily seen. Then let him be led to a level surface, and then pro- 

 ceed to look over every part, beginning with that nearest the one 

 already inspected, namely, the mouth. Then " cough" him by 

 tightly grasping the larynx, by which some idea may be formed of 



