EXAMINATIONS AS TO SOUNDNESS. 151 



but failing sight might be improved, and incipient 

 ossifications be dispersed in some instances. 



The writer knows of one stable which contains 

 only three horses valuable ones when purchased 

 of which one suffers from false quarter and very 

 brittle hoofs ; the second is a windsucker, and has 

 overshot fetlocks ; and the third cuts himself behind 

 so badly that he has no nails on the inside of the 

 hoofs, except one just inside the centre of each toe, 

 whilst on the outside half he has six nails ; his 

 action is bad, as he has always a tendency to ' lift up ' 

 behind. He knows of another stable, also containing 

 three horses, which would be valuable if they were 

 sound. One suffers from corns that have to be pared 

 out fortnightly ; the second has hoofs that scarcely 

 grow, and seedy toe, and has a confirmed habit of 

 gnawing everything within his reach ; he has not as 

 yet, being quite young, become a crib-biter, but he 

 will most likely come to that ; the third has splints, 

 for which he is periodically tortured with blisters, 

 and after each blistering he is found to be worse. 

 The number of such stables is legion. 



Veterinary surgeons, when they examine a horse 

 as to soundness, as it is defined by law, continually 

 find themselves obliged to add riders to their certifi- 

 cates as to existing circumstances which may lead 

 to unsoundness at some future date. If they could 

 only get rid of their prejudice in favour of the shoe, 

 how much trouble and responsibility they might 

 save themselves, and what disgusting operations 

 for instance in the case of quittor they might free 



