HORSES AXD MULES. 287 



the same foot in tlie sanio manner, sometliing seri(^us must ha 

 suspected which gives the liorse uneasiness and pain, tliough not 

 perhaps sufTicient in degree to produce present lameness. 



If the toe of a fore foot be pointed forward it indicates disease 

 of the coffin bone, almost incurable. If botli fore feet are thrown 

 forward and botli hind I'cct thrown back it indicates founder. 

 If with all his feet drawn together under him lie is used up. If 

 his knees beid forward and his legs tremble he has been knocked 

 up with hard work or hard driving. 



CuiiiiY IIocKS, or a protuberance at the commencement of the 

 shank bone are objectionable in young horses. After tlic side 

 view take a front view, and see that the horse is not bow legged or 

 knock kneed. Sl'LENTS are small pieces of bone extending from 

 the shanks, and if so near the knee as to interfere with the ac- 

 tion of the joint, or so far back as to interfere with the sinews, 

 will produce lameness. The Back Sinews sometimes give way, 

 and although healed are never as good as new. Run the hand 

 downward from the knee to the fetlock with the nail- of the 

 thumb and middle finger in the groove between the bone and 

 sinew. If the sheath be round, hard, straight, and even, well; 

 but if there are knots, or soft places, something is wrong; if 

 pinched at these places the horse will wince. 



lilNGBONE is a bony excresence around the foot, just above 

 the hoof. It is one of the worst of defects. Sidebone is the 

 same, only it extends but part way ar<mnd the hoof. Bone 

 spavin is a bony excrescence on the inside of the hock-joint, and 

 can he discovered by the hand. Bog spavin occurs a little inside 

 and below the bone spavin ; it is a collection of the fluid that 

 lubricates the joint, and gives under the pressure of the liaiil. 

 Blood spavin is of the same nature, and detected in the sann way. 

 These are sufficient rea.sons for refusing to purchase a horse. 

 The Age of a IIorse cannot be told by his teeth, if he be 



