TllUTING. WEAVING. 517 



liis safety or Lis life. A tiglit hand or a strong bearing rein are precau- 

 tions that should not be neglected, although they are generally of Kttle 

 avail ; for the inveterate stumbler will rarely be able to save himself, and 

 this tight rein may sooner and farther precipitate the rider. If, after a 

 trip, the horse suddenly starts forward, and endeavours to break into a 

 sharp trot or canter, the rider or driver may be assured that others before 

 him have fruitlessly endeavoured to remedy the nuisance. 



If the stumbler has the foot kept as short and the toe pared as close as 

 safety will permit, and the shoe is rounded at the toe, or has that shape 

 given to it which it naturally acquires in a fortnight from the peculiar 

 action of such a horse, the animal may not stumble quite so much ; or if 

 the disease wliich produced the habit can be alleviated, some trifling good 

 may be done, but in almost every case a stumbler should be got rid of or 

 put to slow and heavy work. If the latter alternative is adopted, he may 

 trip as much as he pleases, for the weight of the load and the motion of 

 the other horses will keep him upon his legs. 



WEAVING. 



This consists in a motion of the head, neck, and body, from side to side, 

 like the shuttle of a weaver passing through the web, and hence the name 

 which is given to this peculiar and incessant and unpleasant action. It 

 indicates an impatient, irritable temper, and a dislike to the confinement of 

 the stable. A horse that is thus incessantly on the fret will seldom carry 

 flesh, or be safe to ride or drive. There is no cure for it, but the close 

 tying up of the animal, or at least allowing him but one loose rein, except 

 at feeding- time. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



ON SOUNDNESS, AND THE PURCHASE AND SALE OF HORSES. 



There are few sources of greater annoyance both to the purchaser and the 

 seller of the horse than disputes Avith regard to the soundness of the animal. 

 Although, in describing the various parts of the horse, we have glanced at 

 the connection of certain natural conformations, and some alterations of 

 structure, and accidents, and diseases, with the question of soundness or 

 unsoundness, it may not be uninteresting to those for whom our work is 

 designed, if we now bring into one point of view the substance of that 

 which has been scattered over many pages. 



That horse is sound in whom there is no disease, and no alteration of 

 structure that impairs, or is likely to impair, his natural usefulness. The 

 horse is unsound that labours under disease, or has some alteration of 

 structure wliich does interfere, or is likely to interfere, with his natui-al 

 usefulness. Since the publication of our first edition, this definition or 

 rule as to soundness or unsoundness has received very high judicial sanc- 

 tion. We shall adhere to it as our test of soundness or unsoundness 

 throughout this chapter, not forgetting that, from recent decisions, it may 

 now be considered as settled law, that the breach of a warranty of sound- 

 ness does not entitle the purchaser to return the horse, but only to recover 

 the difierence of value of the horse with or without the particular un- 

 soundness. The question of temporary maladies, producing no permanent 

 deterioration of the animal, would, generally speaking, only involve a 



