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not be much surprised that so few of them are 

 perfectly sound. Farmers, in general, ride 

 colts even at two years of age, and the con- 

 sequences of such premature exertion are suf- 

 ficiently manifest in the production of bony 

 excrescences on the limbs, such as splents, 

 spavins, ring bones, &c. As lameness, there- 

 fore, is more frequently the cause of unsound- 

 ness than any other disease, I shall commence 

 with that subject, and shall occasionally intro- 

 duce quotations from a treatise on the struc- 

 ture and animal oeconomy of the horse, of which 

 I published a second edition about three years 

 ago. 



Lameness may originate from a diseased state 

 of the hoof, or of the muscles, tendons, liga- 

 ments, and bones. As the most frequent seat 

 of lameness is in the foot, it will be necessary 

 to enter into an anatomical detail of that part 

 of the limb. 



The hoof of a colt is nearly circular in its 

 form ; it is also concave in the sole ; it will 

 therefore be obvious, that the most prominent 

 parts of the sole must come immediately into 

 contact with the ground. These parts are the 

 wall, the binders, and the frog. The heels are 

 naturally capable of an elastic expansion, when 

 the hoof is not shod. This elasticity con- 

 tributes to facilitate the circulation of the l)lood 

 thvough the foot, to furnish a spring to the 



