THE FORE-LEGS. 89 



Stumbling Is nsnallj occasioned by sticking the toe into 

 the road, or striking it against a stone, just as the foot 

 is being brought down into contact with the surface. 

 A horse seldom, if ever, falls in the act of lifting his 

 foot, simply because in that position he has no weight 

 depending upon it. He will fall only when he places 

 the toe on the ground before the heel. Under these 

 circumstances, a slight obstacle will bend the pastern 

 forward, and, as the weight of the body is now in- 

 tended to be thrown on the limb, away he goes. Let 

 the horse with a well-slanted shoulder and pastern 

 throw his foot well foinvard, and then bring his heel 

 first to the groimd, and I will answer for his safety. 

 He will also stand more work than the very high 

 stepper, whose peculiar action is certain to inflame his 

 feet, as well as to promote the development of a variety 

 of diseases to which the fore-legs are liable. Of course 

 the obsei'vations I have made are appHcable to shape 

 and action alone, and have no reference to those cases 

 where a fall is caused by the pressure of a shai'p stone 

 on a tender and diseased foot. It must be evident, a 

 case of that sort is very different from one of ordinary 

 tripping. The one is the result of disease, the other of 

 development or foim. 



