IN SEARCH OF A HORSE. 91 



occasioned by the undue pressure of the shoe ; and 

 though it admits of partial relief by cutting away the 

 affected part, that relief is rarely permanent. If the 

 foot appears to have been cut unusually deep at the 

 angle, where the shoe meets the inside heel, or if 

 there is any peculiarity in the shoeing at that part, 

 the purchaser may infer that "it is not all right." 



These are the ordinary diseases of the foot, per- 

 ceptible more or less to every eye ; but I am far 

 from supposing that I have described all to which 

 that important organ is subject. Tenderness and 

 even lameness, are constantly to be found where not 

 one of these diagnostics is perceptible. Sometimes 

 the sole is extremely thin, and the foot is bruised, 

 where no symptom can be discovered without grad- 

 ually paring away the horny substance. If, how- 

 ever, none of the indications which I have here 

 mentioned are visible, nor any marks of bruise about 

 the coronet, and if the horse's action is firm and 

 bold, it may be fairly assumed that the foot is in a 

 sound state. 



I should have observed before, that a dark hoof is 

 preferable to a white one ; the latter is more porous 

 in its structure, and more liable to become dry and 



