54 THE HORSE. 



STUMBLIKG. 



In the well-formed horse, stumbling is an impossibil- 

 ity, unless he is leg-weary, the shoes do not fit properly, or 

 the saddle hurts him; mind not what either the saddler 

 or groom says, but depend upon it that the saddle does 

 hurt him, if, upon examination, you find that the shoes 

 do not hurt. I liaA^e seen too many instances of their mis- 

 takes to care what they say, and am convinced that very 

 few really know when a saddle does fit. I have bought 

 many horses that had got into disgrace for this fault, but 

 they have never stumbled after they came into my pos- 

 session. The secret was, I took care to have a saddle that 

 fitted both the horse and my own ideas. (See article on 

 Broken Knees. ) Persevere in using a misfitting saddle, 

 and the horse will fall. 



LAMEKESS. 



Should your horse go lame behind when mounted, and 

 not at other times, as this most probably is caused l^y the 

 saddle pressing on the backbone, try another saddle. The 

 same remark applies to his going lame before, under sim- 

 ilar circumstances, except that in this case the saddle 

 hurts the foreparts. 



If, when the saddle is changed, he goes free from lame- 

 ness, the animal may be considered Sound. 



DROPPIN^G BEFORE. 



Dropping before, or knuckling with the pastern joint 

 of the forefoot, if not occasioned by tender feet or weak- 

 ness, but arising solely from youth or carelessness, does 

 not affect the horse's soundness. 



Tlie exceptions are treated under their respective heads; 

 in these cases horses are Unsound. 



