COMMON UNSOUNDNESS ES. 167 



and when I have said that a horse is better without 

 them, I have said nearly all that is to be said against 

 them. 



EIXG-BONE. 



Another unsoundness, but not at all a common 

 one, is a bony enlargement of the pastern joint 

 between the foot and the fetlock. It does not call 

 for any particular description, and is not very com- 

 mon. 



FOEE LEaS. 



^Ve now come to the common unsoundnesses of 

 the fore legs, of which I shall mention four. Splints ; 

 sprain of the back sinew ; fever in the feet ; and 

 navicular lameness ; to which I might add another, 

 namely, sand-crack. 



Three of these are visible to anyone when they 

 are present in a horse — splints, sprained sinew, and 

 sand-crack, while the other two are only to be 

 detected by the alteration produced in the horse's 

 action. 



Splints are chiefly to be found in young horses, 

 and unless very large, they generally disappear as 

 the horse grows older. They consist of a bony en- 

 largement on the inside of the leg, between the knee 

 and the fetlock. They do not invariably constitute 

 unsoundness. If they are towards the front they do 

 not affect the horse's action, except when they are 



