78 



AVHAT DISEASES CONSTITUTE UNSOUNDNESS OR VICE. 



Broken - 

 backed. 



Broken- 

 down. 



Broken- 

 kuees. 



Broken-wind. 



flexion. It was what is called a Bone-spavin, tliougli tlie 

 term was very indefinite ; that the deposit generally, but 

 not invariably, increases (/ ) ; and in the incipient stages it 

 requires skill, and is often difficult to determine ; that there 

 might be a deposit to a considerable extent without pro- 

 ducing lameness; that he had known Horses rejected for 

 Bone-spavin as unsound, which had not become lame, and 

 had one himself which was rejected three years ago, and 

 had not become so. Another witness, a Farrier, said, " I 

 do not think Bone-spavin is an Unsoundness myself, with- 

 out lameness ; but Bone-spavin is in our profession a known 

 Unsoundness, whether it produce lameness or not." The 

 plaintiff obtained a verdict {(j) . 



Many old Horses, which have been put to hard service, 

 especially before they have gained their full strength, 

 have some of the bones of the back or loins anchylosed, 

 being united together by bony matter, instead of liga- 

 ment. When this exists to any considerable extent, the 

 Horse is not pleasant to ride ; he turns with difficulty in 

 his stall ; he is unwilling to lie down ; or when down, to 

 rise again ; and he has a curious straddling action. Such 

 Horses are said to be Broken-hacked, or Chinked in the 

 chine (li). Where this impairs the natural usefulness of 

 the Horse, it is such an alteration of structure as con- 

 stitutes Unsoundness. 



For Broken-down, see " Sprain and Thickening of the 

 Back Sinews " (i). 



Broken-knees do not constitute Unsoundness after the 

 wounds are healed, unless they interfere with the action 

 of the joint ; and a Horse may fall from mere accident, or 

 through the fault of the rider (/.•). 



Brokcn-uind is the rupture or running together of some 

 of the air-cells. It is easily distinguished from Thick- 

 wind (/) ; in Thick-wind the breathing is rapid and 

 laborious, but the inspiration and expiration are equally 

 so, and occupy precisely the same tim«. In Broken-tvind 

 the inspiration is j)erformed by one effort, the expiration 

 by two, occupying double the time, which is plainly to be 

 distinguished by observing the flanks. The reason is that 

 when the lungs are expanded, the air will run in easily 



(/) Reported decreases. 



[g) Watson v. Denton, 7 C. & P. 

 86. 



(/*) Lib. U. K. " The Horse," 

 165. 



(/) Sprain and Thickening of the 

 Back Sinews, post. 



{k) Lib. U. K. "The Horse," 

 361. 



{I) Thick-wind, post. 



