THE HORSE. 57 



him to drop as above described. Here you have only 

 to remove the cause, when it is hardly necessary to add 

 that the horse is SOUND. 



Stumbling. 



In the well-formed horse, stumbling is an impossi- 

 bility, unless he is leg-weary, the shoes do not fit 

 properly, or the saddle hurts him ; mind not what either 

 the saddler or groom says, but depend upon it that the 

 saddle does hurt him, if, upon examination, you find 

 that the shoes do not. I have seen too many instances 

 of their mistakes to care what they say, and am convinced 

 that very few really know when a saddle does fit. I have 

 bought many horses that had got into disgrace for 

 this fault, but they have never stumbled after they 

 came into my possession. The secret was, I took care 

 to have a saddle that fitted both the horses and my own 

 ideas. (See the article on broken knees.) Persevere 

 in using a misfitting saddle, and the horse will fall. 



Lameness. 



Should your horse go lame behind when mounted, 

 and not at other times, as this most probably is caused 

 by the saddle presssing on the backbone, try another 

 saddle. The same remark applies to his going lame 

 before, under similar circumstances, except that in this 

 case the saddle hurts the fore parts. 



