108 THE HORSE. 



In most instances, stumbling will vanish when the 

 promoting cause is removed; and even when that cause 

 is chronic inflammation of the feet, the disease may be 

 greatly relieved, and the stumbling propensity much 

 diminished. 



It is here important to state that when a horse is cured, 

 he is sound; for many persons allege that a horse, once 

 unsound, is unsound for ever. 



Certainly, there are some diseases that leave lasting 

 traces; and, in such cases, although the disease be so far 

 cured, that it no longer endangers the animal's life, or 

 that, if it progress at all, it progresses only slowly, those 

 traces of disease are sufficient to stamp the horse as 



Unsoukd. 



And where there has formerly been active disease in 

 the feet, or where there is such a change of structure 

 in any part as to interfere with his usefulness, he is 



UXSOUND. 



Acute fever frecpiently terminates in chronic disease, 

 or the chronic form may have been produced gradually, 

 lameness appearing and disappearing at short intervals; 

 thus, while the horse is accused of shamming, the disease 

 becomes confirmed before the real cause is suspected. 



FEVER 11^ THE FEET. 



Fever in the feet will produce in a horse 'Mow action," 

 or " going near the ground," and the horse thus afflicted 

 is Unsound. 



If fever in the feet be of so recent a character as not 

 to have caused an alteration in the structure of the feet, 

 it is curable; but this disease is so rapid in its progress, 

 and so quickly assumes a chronic form and produces per- 

 manent lameness, that it is rarely worth while buyinii: a 

 horse thus affected, unless you arc tlioroughly conversant 

 with the treatment proper for sucli cases. 



