250 THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS 



he must obtain it more effectually in a small, confined 

 place than when suffered to run over a large track 

 of land, stamping the ground with his feet for sixteen 

 of twenty-four hours of the day and night. I also 

 put the following question to him : " Suppose I 

 were to say to you, I am going to send one of my 

 hunters as far as York, will you let my servant lead 

 yours in his hand — would you not think I were mad ? " 

 He answered in the affirmative ; and I believe he 

 thought I really was so, when I told him I had rather 

 a hunter of mine were led to Edinburgh and back, 

 than that he should be turned out to grass (I mean 

 merely as far as regards his legs and feet) ; and for 

 this reason : when travelling on turnpike roads 

 as they are now formed, a horse has a flat and even 

 surface for his foot to bear upon, and he might travel 

 at a slow rate ; but when turned out on hard and 

 uneven ground, abounding with holes, cart-ruts, etc., 

 with the privilege of choosing his own pace, injury 

 is frequently done to the cartilages of the foot which 

 is never afterwards removed. My experience has 

 led me to believe that, in most hunters of a certain 

 age that have been ridden hard over a country, there 

 is more or less of ossification of the cartilages of the 

 fore feet (as well as the large flexor tendon which 

 passes over the navicular bone), owing to the violent 

 inflammation the laminae have been subjected to in 

 the excess of action in leaping, etc., to which these 

 parts have been exposed. Should this not be the 

 case, the fetlock joints of hunters are all apt to be 

 injured, and the ligaments surrounding them become 



