SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
705 
with a little handling. Mares sometimes kick in double har¬ 
ness, bnt work cleverly single. A kicking harness horse might 
be useful as a saddler if sold for that purpose only. 
Shying.—Nearly all country horses when first brought into 
the city shy for a while, but some are short sighted and always 
shy. The latter should be rejected. When a horse is sold to 
be thoroughly broken he should not be rejected for shying un¬ 
less it can be determined that it is chronic. 
A confirmed halterpuller might be useful as a coach horse if 
adapted to the purpose and kept in a box stall. In such a case 
the buyer should be advised to use his own judgment. 
Switching.—This is rarely seen in the horse, and is the result 
of a disease of the ovaries in mares. They should be rejected. 
Side-reining is one of the most disagreeable vices a horse 
can have. If it is caused by a sore mouth and it can be shown 
that it is only temporary, the horse should be driven again after 
the month heals. 
Lugging is also a disagreeable habit, but cannot by any 
means be always called a vice. A horse may lug on one kind 
of a bit and drive beautifully with another. It is not an unsound¬ 
ness, as properly hitched a horse will not lug. 
Running away.—There is a difference of opinion as to what 
constitutes a runaway horse. Any prompt, free driver will run 
away if unrestrained. Some first-rate family horses will run 
away under certain circumstances. Some will say that a horse 
that has run away once is never safe again. Such is not the 
case. A horse that will suddenly make a dash for liberty, and 
which cannot be controlled with the ordinary driving bit, is, in 
my opinion, a runaway horse. In examining horses for sound¬ 
ness, it is customary in this country to run them for their wind 
in harness. If they stand such a test with an ordinary bit they 
should be passed. 
Nervousness is hereditary, but a high-bred animal becomes 
nervous with abuse. Many are useful for some purposes, and 
totally unfit for others. What one person would call a nervous 
horse, would just suit another. I know a veterinarian who could 
not be induced to ride behind a snappy high-class horse. I know 
another who would not give a dollar for a horse unless he looked 
wilder than a hawk. The practical examiner should consider 
the person and purpose for which the horse is bought. 
Leaving the subject of vices for discussion, I will conclude 
with a few remarks on the practical part of examining horses 
for soundness. I take it for granted that most of the members 
