THE FOXHOUND'S FEET 



more attention after hunting than the more 

 natural hare foot. As mentioned in another 

 chapter, the real hare foot is not a splay foot as 

 some people suppose, but a fairly long, closely 

 knit, shallow-padded foot, akin to that of the 

 wolf, coyote, and fox. Any one who takes the 

 trouble to examine the feet, legs, and shoulders 

 of a fox, will find these parts of the animal's 

 anatomy most perfectly adapted for the work 

 they have to do. It is safe to say that if the 

 average hound of standard type possessed as good 

 feet as the animal which forms his quarry, foot 

 trouble would be conspicuous by its absence in 

 most kennels. 



In " The Foxhound of the Twentieth Century," 

 Mr. Bradley says, " IvCgs and feet in the fox- 

 hound have been brought to the highest state of 

 perfection during the last quarter of a century. 

 Bone and muscle have been consolidated and will 

 measure against that of a previous generation of 

 hounds ; for there is an increase of weight and 

 size to meet extra wear and tear. The modern 

 foxhound has the forearm of a lion, and shows 

 short, soHd, good bone from the knees to the 

 toes." With all due deference to the author of 

 the above, it is doubtful if the heavy bone and 

 modern foot wear half so long as the light bone 

 and natural foot did in the case of Brocklesby 

 Rally wood and hounds of his time. The aim 

 of the modern breeder appears to have been to 

 increase the amount of bone in succeeding genera- 

 tions of hounds, the increase in weight and size 

 being supposed to meet the extra wear and tear. 

 As a matter of fact the increase of bone, weight, 

 and size is the cause of the extra wear and tear ; 

 for the heavier a hound is, the more will he knock 

 himself about, particularly in rough country. If 



143 



