AS TO SOUNDNESS. 67 



1. Paring with the drawing knife. 



2. Laminitis. 



3. Congenital. 



From whatever cause, this is a grave defect, for the rea- 

 sons we have seen. It may be an unsoundness of the 

 greatest magnitude, or it may not be an unsoundness, 

 legally, at all. In judging it you will have to be guided 

 by its 



1. Cause. 



2. Degree. 



The degree of flatness varies between the just perceptible 

 lowering of the arch down to, not only flatness, but actual 

 convexity. We may leave out of count actual convexity, 

 as you will not have such a case brought for your opinion 

 under present circumstances. Cases are brought some- 

 times where the flatness is either absolute or nearly so. 

 In such cases a leather sole stuffing, and a broad webbed 

 shoe having in it more iron than common, will be re- 

 quired in order that the horse may go sound. So that 

 you have this test : have him shod carefully in ordinary 

 shoes, and then see if he goes sound. If he now goes 

 lame or "feely," he is unsound, because a sound horse 

 can go with ease in ordinary shoes. 



Before leaving the subject of flattened soles, let me 

 remind you that in these cases " seedy toe " is frequently 

 present, so that whenever you see the former suspect the 

 latter and test for it by tapping the front of the hoof 

 lightly with a hammer. " Seedy toe " to a very slight 



