THE HORSE. 125 



of his class, and, therefore, is not physically dis- 

 qualified, he is SOUND. 



But when over-reaching or clicking is caused by his 

 body being too short for his legs, or, as some express it, 

 by his legs being too long for his body, the danger 

 is much greater than in the former case ; for, in this 

 latter, he is much more liable to tread on the heel 

 of the fore foot, and thus throw himself down, or to 

 tear off the fore foot shoe, in this instance, also running 

 a great risk of falling. Such clicking stamps a horse 

 as UNSOUND. 



He is sound so long as there is no abrasion or 

 injury ; but he requires careful shoeing and adapting 

 to right work. 



As long as any abrasion of the skin, or soreness of 

 heel, arising from over-reaching exists, the horse is 



UNSOUND. 



I will here say, that whatever may be the opinion, in 

 such cases, as to soundness, short-bodiedness itself is 

 a defect of so glaring a character, that a horse of the 

 kind will be rarely palmed off for any but the meanest 

 purposes. 



Short-bodiedness, however, must not be confounded 

 with " short back ; " in fact, the back can hardly be too 

 short. 



