Part 9

Making an Artificial Star.

It sometimes happens or is claimed to have happened that a pure-bred foal, registered when young in the stud book, is set down as having a star in its forehead but which on attaining maturity shows no such mark. Sometimes in matching horses a difficulty is experienced when a perfect mate is found with the exception that a star is lacking.

In such cases the horseman is occasionally more or less successful in producing an artificial star. One plan suggested is to cut a boiling hot potato in two and instantly apply the cut surface to the skin of the forehead. The scalding removes the hair and it comes in white, but a careful examination of such an artificial scar often will disclose a small pink, hairless spot in the center of the mark. The same tell-tale spot is seen where the artificial star has been produced by cauterizing with a red-hot iron or scalding with boiling water. The discovery of an artificial star on the forehead of a stallion or mare sold as pure-bred and registered is sufficient reason for making a careful investigation as to the identity of the animal and the integrity of the seller.

An old book gives the following plan of making an artificial star: Take a piece of coarse tow-linen, the size of the wished-for star. Spread on it warm pitch, and apply it to the shaved spot; leave it on for two or three days, then wash with a smart water, or elixir of vitriol, two or three times a day until well. When the hair grows it will be white.

Black Spots on a White Horse.

An old veterinary book says: Take of powdered quicklime half a pound, and litharge four ounces. Beat well the litharge with the lime. The above is to be put into a vessel and a sharp lye is to be poured over it. This is the coloring matter which must be applied to such parts of the animal as you wish to have dyed black.

Broken Crest or Wrong Lying Mane.

In certain gross, coarse-necked, heavy-maned, plethoric draft stallions advancing in age it is not uncommon to find the crest broken over under the weight of the mane. Attempts are sometimes made by the owner or seller to offset this objectionable condition by braiding the mane and causing it to lie upon the side of the neck opposite the break by weighting with flat strips of lead attached to the hair. If the crest breaks over to either side the mane may be roached. Weights may also be used in similar fashion to shed the mane of one horse of a pair so that it will lie on the proper side of the neck to make the team well matched and dressed. A broken crest is objectionable in a stallion as it indicates coarseness and grossness, a tendency to which is likely to be transmitted. The term broken crest is sometimes applied in the market to a horse affected with fistulous withers or scarred therefrom.

Concealing Discharging Sinuses.

It is not uncommon for a horse to have a fistula (opening or sinus) of a salivary duct. Where this is so there will be a discharge of saliva which appears as a limpid, transparent liquid oozing out or flowing in a stream. It is most profuse when the animal is eating and at that time may escape in jets.

Such fistulæ commonly involve Stenon’s duct and are located on the side of the face or jaw. They are difficult to remedy, and the dealer resorts to the use of strong astringents and then plugs the openings tightly with cotton to temporarily prevent escape of saliva until a sale has been effected.

A fistula connecting with the root of a diseased molar and discharging pus through a sinus (pipe) the orifice of which is under the lower jaw, may be plugged in similar fashion, to be discovered later by the chagrined buyer. It also is possible temporarily to prevent escape of pus from small chronic fistulæ or those resulting from poll-evil, fistulous withers or trephining of the bones of the face.

The Galloping Past Dodge.

Some horses roar loudly when going fast in harness, but are instantly quiet when action ceases. To prevent the detection of this unsoundness the seller, unless prevented from doing so by an experienced buyer, gallops the horse past the latter and, by tugging upon the lines, makes it appear that the animal is trying to run away or is difficult to control. The team is pulled up some distance away and by the time the buyer gets there the horse has resumed normal breathing.

The better way to test the horse’s wind is to lock the rear wheels of a wagon by thrusting a strong stick between the spokes from one wheel to the other; then make the horses pull the wagon at a run and be at their heads the moment they stop. Such horses may not be true roarers but mechanical chokers with thick, bull necks or enlarged throat glands. These are practically sound and only roar when pulling a heavy load up hill or on getting the chin down close to the chest.

Keeping a Horse on Edge.

A horseman of the old school writes: “When dealers have had a horse some time in their stables, they exercise him with a whip two or three times a day, so that when a ‘chapman’ goes to look at him, they have only to stir their hand with the whip in it. Under such conditions it is hard to say whether the horse, fearful of a drubbing, is lame or not, and a good judge may be deceived.”

In another place he says: “A horse that goes with his fore feet low is very apt to stumble and there are some that go so near the ground that they stumble most on even road, and the dealers, to remedy this, put heavy shoes on their feet, for the heavier a horse’s shoes are, the higher he will lift his feet.”

“An Eye for An Eye.”

The buyer should have a keen look out for the eye of the horse; otherwise he may easily make sad mistakes in the market.

The pupil of the eye should contract when the horse comes out into the light. If it does not, the eye is blind, or at least unsound. Such eyes have an unnatural appearance which should attract the attention of the alert examiner, but he will be very apt to overlook the blindness if the horse is led out into the bright sunshine. Where a horse has recently become blind from periodic ophthalmia (moon blindness), he may still be able to detect a bright light, and so when exposed to sunshine, may throw up his head and look directly at the sun. This act makes the examiner liable to consider the eyes sound.

Periodic ophthalmia, as suggested by the term, comes on at intervals, but eventually after repeated attacks ends in blindness of one or both eyes.

A horse that has had a few attacks, causing a slight opacity of the cornea (scum), is a favorite with the scalper, as he can be bought cheap, treated for the temporary clearing up of the eyes, and sold at a profit to an unwary buyer. The disease is incurable, and its presence is to be suspected when the eyebrow appears triangular and wrinkled, and the eye looks smaller than its mate, or a healthy eye, and is retracted into the orbit.

Unscrupulous buyers sometimes render a horse temporarily blind by chewing whole flaxseed to a pulp and smearing it in the eye. By washing a cloudy, sticky-looking eyeball, this trick is readily discovered.

A horse may also be rendered temporarily blind by the administration of certain drugs.

The clearing-up process of treating a blue-eyed or moon-blind horse also is effected by skilful use of such drugs as atropia, belladonna, eserine, nitrate of mercury ointment, bloodroot, alum, calomel, etc. Their effect is transitory, and the horse soon has an unmistakable attack of ophthalmia.

Examine the Ears.

It will be well to “put a flea in the ear” of the man who contemplates buying a horse and who may not know that the ear will bear investigation. If the animal will not submit to inspection, look out! The horse that will not allow one to handle his ears, or fights when the attempt is made, may be a terror to shoe, and therefore has had the “twitch” put on his ear many a time in the blacksmith’s shop; or he may have had poll-evil, some injury to the ear, or head, or have a disease present which makes the ear sore or sensitive. A horse so affected is difficult to handle, as he fights when the halter or bridle is put on.