16 LAMENESS. 



in working the machine forward ; while of the fore limbs the 

 foot-joints, being those placed lowermost, and being the first to 

 receive the shock of concussion, are those that suffer the most. 

 This at once explains the notorious facts, that in horses lame 

 behind, the hock is* the most frequent seat of lameness ; while in 

 such as are lame before, no joints are so often found failing as those 

 of the foot. 



SOUNDNESS, AS OPPOSED TO LAMENESS. 



Reluctantly as we enter on this difficult and much-debated 

 question, we feel it our duty, in a work on lameness, to make 

 some observations on the subject, though these observations will be 

 rather of a general than of a particular nature, and have especial 

 reference to soundness regarded as the converse of or opposite 

 state to lameness. No person buys or sells a horse without feel- 

 ing some concern as to the soundness of the animal : the pur- 

 chaser is apprehensive lest his new horse should from any cause 

 turn out unserviceable or unequal to that for the performance of 

 which he has bought him ; the vender is apprehensive, either lest 

 the animal, in other hands, should not prove that sound and effec- 

 tive servant he conceived or represented him to be, or lest some 

 unrepresented or concealed fault or defect he is aware the animal 

 possesses may now, in his new master's hands, be brought to light. 

 Soundness, as opposed to actual or decided lameness (or as synoni- 

 mous with good health), is a state too well understood to need any 

 definition or description : when we come, however, to draw a line 

 between soundness and lameness in their less distinguishable 

 forms — to mark the point at which one ends and the other be- 

 gins — we meet a difficulty, and this difficulty increases when we 

 find ourselves called on to include under our denomination of un- 

 soundness that which is likely or has a tendency to bring forth 

 lameness. 



The number of " horse causes," as they are commonly called, 

 that have engaged the attention of our courts of law, have brought 

 eminent persons of the legal profession to our aid in the solution 

 of this intricate question. Lord Mansfield, years ago, made an 



