114 THE ADVENTURES OF A GENTLEMAN 



events, he will err on the safe side. I have seen a 

 horse affected in this way at starting, by rheumatism, 

 and, after a little exercise, the pain has subsided, 

 and the lameness has disappeared altogether ; but 

 though a slight rheumatic affection, either of the 

 leg or shoulder, is not an affair of much conse- 

 quence, a prudent man will never buy a horse 

 upon such an explanation of lameness at starting. 

 The disease of chest-founder has been considered 

 by some writers to be nothing more than rheuma- 

 tism. A very intelligent friend of mine, well 

 versed in sporting matters, has explained it to me as 

 arising from a languor and debility of the pectoral 

 muscles, consequent upon the inactivity that lame- 

 ness or other accident occasions: and in proof of 

 this, he says that he has always noticed it accom- 

 panied by disease of the feet or legs ; if it were 

 alwsijs preceded by such local affections, his reasoning 

 would be plausible. It is acknowledged, however, to 

 be a complaint of an unusual character, and I do not 

 pretend to offer any pathological explanation of it. 



One of the most difficult lessons for a beginner 

 is to detect a slight affection of the wind : indeed, 

 I doubt if any verbal explanation can much assist 



