204 ON THE HACKNEY AND HUNTER. 



titioner of fome note, with a fine young coach- 

 horfe, which went lame. Upon enquiry, he 

 had been lame fometime, and neither them- 

 felves, their mailer, nor the do&or, could 

 poffibly difcover the feat of his lamenefs, but 

 they had bliflered his pattern- joints, and taken 

 feveral other fteps at a hazard. I examined 

 him out of curiofity. He had fcarce flood (till 

 a minute, before he fet his near fore-leg out. 

 I found the foot and joint perfectly cool, and 

 apparently without complaint. I had him 

 walked upon foft ground, and obferved, he 

 threw his fore-arms freely, and far enough 

 forward, by which I was convinced of the 

 foundnefs of his moulders. On preffing the 

 back fmew of the near fore-leg, the horfe 

 flinched, and on farther examination, I found 

 the finews foft and flabbv, with fome little 

 heat and beating. It was in vain, that I com- 

 municated this difcovery to the men, or that I 

 demanded of them, whether, independent of 

 other ailments, which they fuppofed the horfe 

 might have, that which I had found, was not 

 fumcient to make him halt? No. One faid 

 he was lame behind, the other, that the lame- 

 nefs was in his fhoulder, and that he knew 

 a farrier who could remove it at a certainty. 



There feems a flrange difpohtion in the 

 flable people, to attribute effects to occult and 

 imaginary caufes, when the real ones are fo 



obvious 3 



