174 HORSES A^'D RIDINa. 



action, he is apt to get a great deal more work tlian 

 if he is the contrary, and that straight shouldered 

 horses have less taken out of them owing to the 

 unpleasantness of their action. A horse, too, with a 

 good middle and strong constitution, will travel much 

 greater distancf^s without being knocked up than a 

 light-made shelly one would, and if in addition to 

 that they are pleasant and easy to ride, it is very apt 

 to fall to their lot to have to go long distances and 

 be ridden fast, to the wear, tear, and detriment of 

 their feet. 



This is the only way in which I can account for 

 good horses becoming lame of this complaint oftener 

 than bad ones, if indeed it is the case. 



As far as my own experience goes, the contrary is 

 the case, for out of four animals I remember to have 

 had to sell from navicular lameness, three have had 

 bad shoulders. What I have said above would also 

 to a certain extent account for its being considered 

 hereditary, for a mare might be a very good one 

 and be over-ridden in consequence, and then become 

 lame, and after that breed a foal which was equally 

 good, and became lamed from the same cause 

 as its mother, but with fair treatment neither of 

 these two would have become lamed. 



Navicular lameness attacks the fore legs, but 

 ring-bones may come on either fore or hind legs. 



In addition to lameness, horses may become 



