^-■■^ ox SOUNDNESS. ASD THE 



RiNGBONE-AMoug-h When the bony tumour is small, and on one side 

 only there is httle or no lameness-and there are a few instances L 

 wh.eh a horse ^v.th ringbone has worked for many years w thout iS 

 return-yet from the action of the foot, and the stress upon the part the 

 mflammation and the formation of bone may acquire a teLlency to spread 

 so rapidly, that we must pronounce the ^hghtest enlargement of he 

 pasterns, or around the coronet, to be a cause of unsoundness 



bAi^D-CRACK is manifestly unsoundness. It may, however occur 

 without the s ightest warning, and no horse can be rejected on accent of 

 a and-crack that has sprung after purchase. Its usual cause is too^reat 

 br ttleness of the crust of the hoof; but there is no infalhble methS of 

 detecting this, or the degree in which it must exist in order to constXJe 

 unsoundness When the horn round the bottom of the foot has cM^ped 

 off o much that only a skilful smith can fasten the shoe without pricM^^ 

 the horse or even when there is a tendency in the horn to chip and Wk 

 in a much less degree than this, the horse is unsound, for this^ bSttleness 



as tolnTrf ''^^r'.^ '^ *?i! P^^'"^^ ^' ^' '^'^ -- -1^-^d structure of 

 as to interfere materially with the usefuhiess of the animal 



fePAviN.— Bone spavin comprehending in its largest sense every bony 



tumour on the hock, _ is unsoundness. If the tumour affects ithj 



lightest degree the action of the horse, it is unsoundness ; even if it does 



not. It IS seldom safe to pronounce it otherwise than unsoundness. BuHt 



Sv^°t'o aicf h^' '?"* '" 't' ''^'-^'^^ ^° '''^''''^ ^' *° ^-- no ten- 

 dency to affect the action. A veterinary surgeon consulted on the 

 pnrchase wiU not always reject a horse because of such a tumour, but he 

 ^l ZTt^ ^r^ T^ ?' ^'^''^- ^' '^^'^'' °- ^ l^e^tion of sound- 

 historv of thft " '^" ^"'t- ^}' ^^' '^ '^' animal, the situation and 

 history of the tumour, may be such as to enable him to give a decisive 

 opimon m a horse going sound, but not often ^ decisive 



Bog or Blood Spavin is unsoundness, because, although it may not be 

 productiveof lameness at slow work, the rapid and powe'rful action of the 

 hock xn quicker motion will produce permanent, yet perhaps not cons der! 

 able lameness which can scarcely ever be with certainty removed 



tePLiNT.— Strictly speaking, splint constitutes unsoundness, but so few 

 horses are entirely free from this disease, that it would be highly in urious 



of The boTv 7 '""""' ^°' !?" ^f 1- ^' ^^P^^^^ '^^'^^'y - *^^e sit^Sn 

 of the bony tumour on the shank-bone, whether it is Hkely to cause 

 lameness. If it^is not in the neighbourhood of any joint, so as to interfere 

 with Its action, and if it does not press upon any hgament or tendon it 

 may not cause lameness, although it is often very Lsightly. irnSiiv 

 cases It may not lessen the capabiHty and value of the animal.^ Tliis how^ 

 ever, should be left to the judgment of the veterinary surgeon ' 



STRiNGHALT^-This singular and very unpleasant action of the hind- 

 leg .s decidedly an unsoundness. It is an ii^regular communication of 

 nervous energy to some muscle of the thigh, observable when the horse 

 first comes from the stable, and gradualfy ceasing on exercise. It has 

 usually been accompanied by a more than common degree of strength and 

 endurance. It must, however, be traced to some morbid" alteration of strTc- 



iTa^l^tr :^X^ '' '^-'^ - -^- '^'^ '^ ^^^^^-^^ -^ .-dX 



vJdlTiZI^ °' ™^?,^<^^ SmEws.-Sufficient attention is not always 

 paid to the fineness of the legs of the horse. If the flexor tendons have 

 been sprained, so as to produce considerable thickening of the cellular 



opeihaps always, be hable to sprain, from causes by which they would 

 otherwise bo scarcely affected. The continuance of any considrrable 



