The color of a horse is an important factor in the price, except in the case of animals of extraordinary qualities; and although different persons have their special preferences, yet probably the order of the following list will give the average taste of the horse-buying public:
- Blood bay with black points; that is, with mane, tail, and legs from the knee downward black.
- Rich chestnut.
- Rich brown.
- Common bay with black points.
- Common chestnut.
- Dark dapple gray.
- Full black.
- Light bay with brown legs.
- White.
- Common gray.
- Brownish-black.
- Sorrel.
When your decision is finally made, obtain (from the person selling) a warranty, which had better be written upon the bill itself, giving the height, age, and color of the horse, and stating that he is sound, kind, goes well under the saddle and in single or double harness, and is afraid of nothing.
The vices which in the eye of the law make a horse returnable are Biting, Cribbing, Kicking, Rearing when dangerous, and Shying when dangerous.
In estimating the height of a horse it is convenient to remember that fifteen hands make exactly five feet—a “hand” being four inches, or a third of a foot.
To aid the inexperienced we give a cut showing a horse, originally of high spirit but faulty organization, broken down by ill usage, and also append a list of the various defects and ailments which every horse-owner ought to know something about.
LIST OF DISEASES AND DEFECTS.
[Those printed in small capitals constitute Unsoundness in the eye of the law.]
- Acclimation.—Horses removed from one part of the country to another have usually a period of indisposition, often of severe illness, and always for some time require more than ordinary care. It is well, therefore, not to buy a Western horse in the Atlantic States until he has been at least a month in his new surroundings.
- Apoplexy.—Sometimes called “sleepy staggers.” Begins with drowsiness, passing into insensibility, with snoring respiration, and ending in death.
- Blindness.—Often comes on gradually. Eyes of a bluish-black are thought suspicious, as is inflammation of ball or lid, or cloudiness of pupil.
- Blind Staggers.—See “[Megrims]” and “[Staggers].”
- Bog-spavin.—A soft swelling on the inner side of the hock-joint towards the front. It is caused by the formation of a sac containing synovial fluid which has oozed out of the joint. The result usually of brutality. Incurable.
- Blood-spavin.—A swelling in nearly the same place caused by an aneurism or sac of arterial blood. Incurable. Very rare.
- Bone-spavin.—A swelling caused by a bony growth on the inside of the hock-joint towards the front. It produces lameness, which sometimes passes off temporarily after a few minutes’ work. Sometimes curable. This is what is usually meant by spavin.
- Bots.—Caused by the larvæ of the bot-fly, which cling to the lining of the stomach by their two hooks till after several months they reach maturity and pass out with the droppings. They seem to do little harm, and should be left alone, as they cannot be destroyed by any medicine safe for a horse to take.
- Breaking Down.—A rupture of the tendons of the leg causing the fetlock-joint to give way downward. Incurable.
- Broken Knee.—Indicated by white or bare spots, showing that the horse has been down, and is presumably a stumbler.
- Broken Wind.—Accompanied by a husky cough, and indicated by heaving flanks and forcible double respiration after exercise. Incurable.
- Capped Hock.—A soft movable swelling on point of hock, caused by a bruise, usually got in kicking.
- Cataract.—Opacity of the crystalline lens of the eye.
- Chapped Heels.—Always the result of neglect. Often accompanied by fever and constitutional disturbance.
- Cold.—Shown by dulness, rough coat, loss of appetite, tears and running at the nose. Give soft food and nurse well without exercise.
- Colic.—Distinguished from inflammation of the bowels by intervals of quiet between the spasms, and by the fact that the horse will strike his belly violently in the hope of relief. Give first a warm injection, to remove any obstruction in lower bowel, and then administer stimulants.
- Contracted Heels.—Often caused by improper shoeing, but often natural, and in this case producing no ill result.
- Corns.—Do not at all resemble human corns. A corn is a reddish and very sensitive spot in the sole of the foot under the shoe, caused by a rupture of the delicate blood-vessels, resulting in an abnormal fungoid growth.
- Costiveness.—May bring on “blind staggers” in a horse inclined to this disease. No horse should be hurried when first taken out till his bowels have been moved.
- Cough.—Constitutes unsoundness while it lasts. Caused by foul air, dusty food, irregular work. Crush the oats, damp the hay, and give linseed tea for drink.
- Cribbing, or Crib-biting.—Is sometimes considered a vice, but is doubtless a result of indigestion. The horse lays hold of the manger with his teeth, straightens his neck, sucks wind into his stomach, and ejects gas. Probably some alkali, say lime-water or baking soda, would be beneficial.
- Curb.—A soft, painful swelling on the back of the hind-leg six or eight inches below the hock. See [illustration].
- Cutting.—See “[Interfering]” and “[Speedy Cut].”
- Discharge from Nostril.—Is usually caused by a simple cold, but may be a symptom of the contagious and incurable disease [GLANDERS], and proximity to it should therefore be carefully avoided.
- Distemper.—A disease of young horses, occurring once only. See “[Strangles].”
- Ewe Neck.—Carries the head high and nearly in a horizontal position, so that the bit has not a proper bearing on the “bars,” but is inclined to slip back towards the grinders.
- Farcy.—An incurable and contagious disease, caused by blood-poisoning, and indicated by sores usually on inside of thigh, or on neck and hips. As it is communicable to human beings, every farcied horse should be immediately killed. It is well to avoid all approach to horses having sores of any kind. See “[Glanders].”
- Filled Legs.—A swelled condition of the lower parts, usually caused by want of exercise, and relieved by bandaging and rubbing.
- Fistula of the Withers.—An abscess among the muscles over the shoulder-blades, usually caused by pressure of saddle upon the bony ridge of back. Requires surgical operation.
- Forging.—See “[Overreaching].”
- Founder, or Fever in the Feet.—An inflammation of the parts between the crust of the foot and the pedal-bone, including the laminæ, which cease to secrete horn. It is caused sometimes by hard roads, and sometimes by eating or drinking or standing in a draught of air when heated. This name is commonly applied to any rheumatic lameness of the fore-feet or legs brought on as above, whether its seat be the feet, the tendons of the legs, or the muscles of the breast, in which last case it is called “chest-founder.” The treatment, which is only palliative, is hot bathing and friction with liniments.
- Gadfly Bites.—Often very annoying. May be prevented by washing legs and flanks with a strong tea of green elder bark.
- Galls—from saddle.—Best prevented by leaving the saddle in place for twenty minutes after loosening the girths. When occurring, however, should receive prompt attention, as they are very tedious if neglected. Examine the back carefully after the first ride on a new horse, and also before putting on the saddle the next day.
- Glanders.—A disgusting, contagious, and incurable disease, the chief symptom of which is a discharge from one nostril, at first transparent, then slightly sticky, then thick and yellow. As it is highly contagious to human beings, in whom it is equally dreadful and always fatal, a glandered horse should be instantly killed, as the law requires. It is well to avoid all horses having any discharge, however slight, from the nose. Glanders may be caught from “[farcy],” and vice versa.
- Grapes.—A filthy and incurable disease of heels and pastern, caused by gross neglect. It is the last stage of “grease.”
- Grease.—An aggravated form of “chapped heels,” accompanied by swelling, fever and a serous discharge. Wash clean frequently, and anoint with Dalley’s salve.
- Gripes.—See “[Colic].”
- Heart Disease.—May be detected by auscultation. Incurable. Ends in sudden death.
- Heaves.—See “[Broken Wind].”
- Hide-bound.—The skin appears too tight, and as if fast to the ribs. It is caused by a disordered stomach, and requires nourishing food.
- Inflammation of Bowels.—The pain is continuous, and the horse is careful not actually to strike his belly with his feet. Requires, of course, very different treatment from colic, but an injection should be the first thing done.
- Interfering.—Striking the fetlock-joint with the foot. Caused sometimes by weakness and fatigue, but usually by bad shoeing, and a good blacksmith is the best adviser.
- Lampas.—A swelling of the gums, relieved by lancing.
- Knee-sprung.—Incurable. Result of overwork.
- Knuckled.—Same as “set over.” A condition of the fetlock-joint corresponding to that of the “sprung” knee.
- Laminitis.—The scientific name of “[founder].”
- Mad Staggers.—Violent insanity, caused by inflammation of the brain. The last stage sometimes of sleepy staggers. Incurable.
- Mallenders.—A scurvy patch at the back of the knee, caused by neglect, and not obstinate.
- Mange.—An itch produced by a parasitic insect.
- Megrims.—A falling-sickness like epilepsy. It begins with a laying back of the ears and shaking of the head; is accompanied by convulsions; and passes off of itself in two or three minutes, the horse appearing to be none the worse. Often called “Blind Staggers.”
- Navicular Disease.—An ulceration of the navicular-joint in the foot, causing lameness; incurable, except by extirpation of the nerve.
- Nerved.—A nerved horse has had one of the nerves of the foot cut to remove the pain and lameness caused by the “navicular disease.”
- Ophthalmia.—A purulent inflammation of the eye. Epidemic.
- Organic Disease of the bony system anywhere constitutes unsoundness.
- Overreaching.—Striking the toe of the front-foot with the toe of the hind-foot; sometimes called “clicking.” Often remedied by shoeing.
- Poll-evil.—An abscess in the top of the neck, near the head, caused by a blow.
- Pumice Foot.—Bulging sole, weak crust, the result of “[laminitis].” Incurable.
- Quarter Crack.—Occurs usually on the inside of fore-foot. A bad sign, as well as very slow and troublesome to cure.
- Quidding.—Dropping the food half chewed from the mouth. Indicative of sore throat.
- Quittor.—Burrowing abscess in the foot.
- Rheumatism.—Cause, effect, and treatment the same as for human beings.
- Ring-bone.—An enlargement of the bone by growth, a little above the coronet.
- Roaring.—Caused by a contraction of windpipe. Incurable.
- Ruptures of all kinds constitute unsoundness.
- Saddle-gall.—Swelling caused by chafing of saddle. If the skin is broken it is called a “sitfast;” if not, a “warble.”
- Sallenders.—Scurvy patch in front of hock-joint.
- Sand Crack.—Occurs on the inside of fore-foot and on the toe of the hind-foot.
- Scratches.—See “[Chapped Heels].”
- Scouring.—Looseness of the bowels.
- Seedy Toe.—A separation of the crust of the hoof from the laminæ, the result of [laminitis]. Scarcely curable.
- Side-bone.—A bony growth just above the coronet, causing lameness. Incurable.
- Spavin.—See “[Bone], [Blood], and [Bog] Spavin.”
- Speedy Cut.—A cut of the knee from the foot of opposite leg. Dangerous, because the pain often causes the horse to fall.
- Staggers.—See “[Apoplexy].” “Sleepy,” “Trotting,” and “Mad” Staggers are different forms and stages of the same disease, caused usually by overfeeding.
- Strangles, or Colt Distemper.—A severe swelling of the glands of the throat, which gathers and breaks.
- String-halt or Spring-halt.—A peculiar snatching up of the hind-leg, caused by some nervous disorder. Incurable.
- Surfeit.—An eruption of round, blunt spots, caused by heating food.
- Thick Wind.—Defective respiration without noise. Incurable.
- Thickening of Back Sinews.—Result of strain.
- Thrush.—An offensive discharge from the frog, the result of inflammation, caused by want of cleanliness or overwork, etc.
- Thorough-pin.—A sac of synovial fluid formed between the bones of the hock from side to side.
- Warble.—A saddle-gall when simply swollen but not broken.
- Warts.—Should be removed, as they tend to spread.
- Whirlbone Lameness.—Lameness of hip-joint.
- Windgalls, or Puffs.—Little oval swellings just above the fetlock-joint between the back sinew and the bone.
- Worms.—Sometimes troublesome, but less so than often supposed.
- Whistling.—Caused by a contraction of windpipe. Incurable.