AS TO SOUNDNESS. c)7 



has been sufficient to cool the parts, and the engine is 

 fit to be started once more. By constant hard work, 

 by-and-bye the time comes when he finds that he also 

 has to apply cold water to reduce the heat ; and this he 

 does by means of bandages dipped in cold water applied 

 through the night. After a time these means fail, and 

 thickness occurs in various places ; and it is only then 

 that work is stopped altogether, which ought to have 

 been done at the very time when cold water bandages 

 had to be resorted to. 



' At the present time it remains to decide how much 

 evidence of over- work of these parts, in the form of 

 distended synovial membranes, glorying in the name 

 of "wind gall," "thoropin," according to their situa- 

 tion, may we overlook, and still consider the horse 

 sound. We are told that these are more a sign of over- 

 work than of unsoundness. What is meant by this I never 

 knew. There may be no local impediment to move- 

 ment ; but if movement cannot be repeated a reasonable 

 number of times without heat and swelling of the parts, 

 necessitating sedative means, surely the machine is un- 

 sound. You may, and very frequently, have oedema of 

 the areolar tissue of the legs (filled legs), and heat with 

 this; but then the swelling is not confined to one or two 

 localities, but evenly spread over the whole of the leg 

 down to the top of the hoof and //Vj- on pressure. Then, 

 again, you may have this oedema plus distended synovial 

 sheaths ; and when such is the case a little exercise will 

 take down the " filled legs," and leave you free to judge 



7 



