THE HORSE. 129 



at all, it progresses only slowly, those traces of disease 

 are sufficient to stamp the horse as UNSOUND. 



And where there has formerly been active disease in 

 the feet, or where there is such a change of structure 

 in any part as to interfere with his usefulness, he is 



UNSOUND. 



Acute fever frequently terminates in chronic disease, 

 or the chronic form may have been produced gra- 

 dually, lameness appearing and disappearing at short 

 intervals ; thus, while the horse is accused of shamming, 

 the disease becomes confirmed before the real cause is 

 suspected. 



Fever in the Feet. 



Fever in the feet will produce in a horse "low 

 action/' or "going near the ground/' and the horse 

 thus afflicted is UNSOUND. 



If fever in the feet be of so recent a character as not 

 to have caused alteration in the structure of the feet, 

 it is curable ; but this disease is so rapid in its pro- 

 gress, and so quickly assumes a chronic form and 

 produces permanent lameness, that it is rarely worth 

 while buying a horse thus affected, unless you are 

 thoroughly conversant with the treatment proper for 

 such cases. 



