The Artificial Tail Trick.
Where a horse is bought without careful examination of the tail, it may transpire when too late for redress that the switching appendage has been joined on. We remember examining a fine, thoroughbred running horse that was to be used for saddle purposes. Everything passed scrutiny until we came to the tail, which was that of some other horse, nicely held in place by clamps. When it was removed it was found that the horse under examination possessed a mere vestigial stump of a tail—a regular shaving brush affair—and on that account the deal, like the tail, was all off.
Draft and work horses are often offered with the tail braided and tied up. Where this is the case, the intending buyer should let the tail down and then he may find that a big foreign switch has been braided in with the scant supply of natural hair.
The critical examination of the tail will also save the prospective purchaser from acquiring an animal afflicted with pigment tumors ([see page 48]), or one that is about to lose a portion of the tail by gangrene, due to keeping a cord too tightly and too long around the part when tied up in muddy weather, or while exposed for sale.