498 



THK MODERN SYSTEM 



the wear of the front teeth, and even the fre- 

 quent breaking of them, make a Horse old 

 before his time, and sometimes render it diffi- 

 cult or almost impossible for him to graze, 

 when the state of the animal or the con- 

 venience of the owner require that he should 

 be turned out. 



Curb constitutes unsoundness while it lasts, 

 and perhaps while the swelling remains, 

 although the inflammation may have sub- 

 sided ; for a Horse that has once thrown out 

 a curb, is, for a while at least, very liable to 

 do so aofain on the slig-htest extra exertion. 

 A Horse, however, is not returnable if he 

 should spring a curb five minutes after the 

 purchase, for it is done in a moment, and does 

 not necessarily indicate any previous unsound- 

 ness or weakness of the part. 



Cutting, as rendering a Horse liable to 

 serious injury of the legs, and indicating that 

 he is either weak, or has an awkwardness of 

 gait inconsistent with safety, should be con- 

 sidered as unsoundness. Many Horses go 

 lame for a considerable period after cutting 

 themselves severely ; and others have dropped 

 from the sudden agony, and endangered them- 

 selves and their riders. As some doubt, how- 

 ever, exists on this subject, and as it is a very 

 material objection to a Horse, cutting, when 

 evident, should have its serious consequences 

 provided against by a special warranty. 



Enlarged Glands. — The enlargement of the 

 glands under the jaw has not been so much 

 considered as it ought, in our estimate of the 

 soundness of the Horse. Simple catarrh will 

 occasionally, and severe aflection of the chest 

 will generally be accompanied by swelling of 

 these glands, and which does not subside for 

 a considerable time after the cold or fever has 

 apparently been cured To a slight enlarge- 



ment of the glands under the jaw much atte&- 

 tion need not be paid ; but if they are of con- 

 siderable size, and especially if tender, and 

 the gland at the root of the ear be enlarged, 

 as well as the membrane of the nose be red- 

 der than it should be, we should hesitate in 

 pronouncing that Horse to be sound. We 

 should fear the insidious lurking of disease. 



Enlarged Hock. — A Horse with enlarged 

 hock is unsound. The structure of this com- 

 plicated joint being so materially affected, that 

 although the Horse may appear for a con- 

 siderable time to do ordinary work well, he 

 will occasionally fail even as to that, and a 

 few days' hard work will always lame him. 



The Eyes. That inflammation of the eye 

 of the Horse which usually terminates in 

 blindness of one or both eyes, has the peculiar 

 character of remitting or disappearing for a 

 time, once or twice, before it fully runs its 

 course. The eye, after an attack of inflamma- 

 tion, regains so nearly its former natural bril- 

 liancy, that a man well acquainted with 

 Horses will not always recognize the traces of 

 former disease. After a time, however, the 

 inflammation returns, and the result is un- 

 avoidable. 



Jf a man buys a Horse actually blind, he 

 may repent of his bargain, but he cannot get 

 rid of it. He should be more careful, and the 

 law will not protect him if he does not use 

 common precaution. 



Lameness, from whatever cause arising, i« 

 unsoundness. However temporary it may be, 

 or however obscure, it lessens the utility of 

 the Horse, and renders him unsound for the 

 time. How far his soundness may be after- 

 wards affected, must depend on the circum- 

 stances of the case. A lame Horse is for the 

 time an unsound one. 



