THE HORSE. 109 



adapted for double harness or for four-wheel work, as 

 there is then no vertical pressure of his back. 



When such horses fall down, which they are almost 

 certain to do before the ninth year, if working fast, and 

 they hurt themselves in a trifling degree only, they are, 

 until cured, UNSOUND. 



Soundness and unsoundness, subsequent to such a 

 fall, depends entirely upon the extent of the injury 

 received. See the article on " Broken Knees. " 



Upright Joints Knuckling. 



When the pastern-joint of one or both of the fore- 

 legs is perpendicular to the rest of the leg, instead 

 of sloping backward, if this defect arise from work, the 

 animal is UNSOUND 



Such a deformity, in itself a serious defect, is bad 

 also on account of its being such a deviation from 

 nature as will soon render the horse useless from 

 the lameness resulting from the concussion that the 

 altered structure of the joints permits. Sometimes this 

 knuckling is produced by over-work or strains ; some- 

 times by pumice soles ; and very often it arises from 

 navicular disease. 



Where either of the latter two exists, the disease is, 

 of itself, an UNSOUNDNESS. 



With the hind-legs, these observations do not hold 



