118 THE HORSE. 



This expression — hard mouth — often misleads users 

 into treating a horse as if he had altogether lost all sen- 

 sation in his mouth, thereby aggravating instead of 

 remedying the evil; the fact being, that mismanagement 

 has drilled the horse into bearing unnecessary punish- 

 ment of the bit — while a good horseman will quickly 

 make the horse answer his hand, and in a short 

 time permanently restore the tone and liveliness of its 

 mouth. 



WOUiq^DS. 



Wounds of every description, however slight they may 

 be, since there is no certainty as to how they may termi- 

 nate, stamp a horse as Unsoukd. 



ABRASIONS. 



Very slight abrasions, though scarcely attracting notice, 

 and requiring little if any special care, yet, for the time 

 being, stamp the horse as Unsound. 



Should abrasions, however, occur on any joint, such as 

 the knee, etc., or any other important part, as gravel 

 may have worked in, and the bruise be, consequentl}^, 

 serious, additional attention is called for. In this case the 

 horse is decidedly Unsound. 



But when the abrasion is perfectly healed, he is 



Sound. 



BALD places. 



Bare or bald places, which occur on many parts of 

 horses' bodies, are not deserving of mucli notice, not 

 being indications of any fault, nor of any liability to ac- 

 cidents. 



