168 



HOESES AND EIDIXG. 



Fig. 25. 



large and the horse has a narrow chest, in which 

 case he will hit them with the other foot and lame 

 himself. In that case I think they would constitute 

 an unsoundness. If they are towards the back of the 

 leg, so as to press against the tendon, they will lame 

 the horse and constitute an unsoundness. Except 

 in these cases they are not of material consequence, 

 and are chiefly objectionable from their appearance. 

 I have given a sketch of a fore 

 leg with a large splint imme- 

 diately below the knee, but it may 

 come anywhere, from where I have 

 drawn it down to the pastern joint 

 or ankle. 



The next unsoundness chiefly 

 affects racehorses, in fact it is by 

 far the most general complaint 

 they suffer from in the fore legs, 

 and it might almost be said that 

 it was the natural termination to 

 a racehorse's career that he should 

 break down in one of his fore legs. 

 Hunters sometimes become lamed 

 from this cause, but not often, while roadsters and 

 carriage-horses may be said to be practically exempt 

 from it. It entirely cripples the horse at the time 

 it is done, and although after a time he may recover 

 enough to go sound, and even stand a little work, 

 still his leg is never to be depended on, and anyone 



