A HERDSMAN'S HANDBOOK FOR THE MODERN HOMESTEADER

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Buying a horse is not quite like buying any other farm animals. Cows, sheep and hogs are generally considered to be healthy and sound if they have no infectious diseases and seem to be capable of the production common to their species. Freedom from infectious disease is naturally important in horses too . . . but we also have to view the choice of a riding or work animal in the same light we would use to pick an athlete. With a horse we are more interested in his ability to perform than we are in any ability to fatten easily.

Before a purchase is made you should take great pains to see that the horse is healthy and sound. Do not hesitate to have your veterinarian give the animal a thorough examination This exam should include taking the horse's temperature, listening to its heart and lungs both before and after exercise, checking the eyes for blindness and actually feeling the joints, tendons and hooves for any abnormalities. A fecal exam for internal parasites and a blood test for EIA (Equine Infectious Anemia) should also be conducted.

This is a good time, too, to have your vet check to see that the horse has not been tranquilized or had any minor surgery done to cover up any defects or blemishes. The money and time spent on such an examination is an excellent form of insurance.

All of the above factors are worthy of serious consideration before you buy a horse, but the most important factor of all is your own personal preference. If one certain horse catches your eye and he seems to measure up to most of your ideals . . . buy him! An English horseman of note, George Whyte-Melville, summarized this advice nicely way back 1875 when he wrote, "In the choice of a horse and a wife, a man must please himself, ignoring the opinion and advice friends."

Nextinstallment:"How to tellthe age of farmanimals bytheir teeth."

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