THE-;- HORSE 



Defects. — The horse's eyes should be clear. 

 If it is thought the animal has defective sight, 

 moving the hand toward the eye quickly and 

 taking it away again without touching the 

 horse's head will aid in determining this fact. 



A quick glance at the horse's neck will tell 

 whether it is free from defect such as fistula; 

 fistula being a kind of localized open sore with 

 a very deep root. On observing the animal's 

 forelegs medium large and straight bones are 

 desirable; however, that part from the ankle 

 to the hoof, which is the pastern, should be 

 sloping enough to minimize any danger of 

 knuckling over. 



Ordinary splints do no real harm, only at 

 incipiency they usually make the animal lame. 

 Splints practically never come on a horse's 

 hind legs. 



Side-bones and ring-bones which come upon 

 the coronet, that fore part of the horse's foot 

 immediately above the hoof, always end in 

 causing lameness, and are practically incurable. 

 Their presence can be detected by bony en- 

 largements at the side and above the horse's 

 hoof in the case of a side-bone, and at the side 

 above and in front of the horse's hoof in the 

 case of a ring-bone. 



Bone spavin is the usual cause of lameness 

 on a horse's hind legs. This is a bony enlarge- 

 ment immediately below and on the inside of 

 the horse's hock, and can be seen best by 



