36 PURCHASING FROM THE STABLES. 



If ringbone is formed in either of these places, 

 there will be an evident diiFerence in the feel, 

 which should make you sceptical as to the sound- 

 ness, for ringbone is not uncommon at the stables 

 among the newly arrived horses, both old and 

 young. There are two ligaments that run down 

 on either side the pastern, and it is the centre 

 of the pasterns between these ligaments * that 

 will show a fulness and hardness ; or, if the 

 ringbone should be at the side of the coronet, 

 about two inches from the heel, you must disco- 

 ver it by the difference, which you will if you 

 search narrowly, first feeling one horse, then an- 

 other. The centre of the pastern between these 

 ligaments about two inches above the coronet, 

 quite on the seat of ringbone, is sometimes a 

 little swollen, the consequence of having been 

 fastened with a rope there ; but this, though 

 common enough among country horses, seldom 

 arises from this cause with Arabs. I knew a 

 cunning fellow, who purchased a new arrival from 

 the boats with one of these swellings on the off 

 fore pastern, which unluckily turning out a ring- 

 bone ; he cleverly tied a rope round it, so as to 

 take the hair off a little, and searching out his 



* These ligaments, in some flat-shanked, wiry-limbed, clean- 

 pasterned horses, occasionally stand out very prominent, like a 

 piece of thick cord. 



