MODERN VETEHINARY PHACTICE. 



GOOD POINTS.] 



lessoning the valiio of a horse. Of tlic two 

 faults, turning tlictn out is the greater; for 

 the pointing inwiinls is seKloni carried to 

 extreme. A good arm is broad anil thick ; 

 long, when compared to the leg, and marked 

 exteriorly by nmyeular j)rominences. Tho 

 elbow cannot prt'ject too far back ; and tho 

 more plump tho muscle is immediately above 

 it, wo may conclude that so nnieli the greater 

 are the powers of the anin-.al. 



The knees ought to be large, broad in front, 

 and distinctly marked with several bony 

 knobs ; lateral thickness is also of much im- 

 portance. AVIien the radius — the bone of the 

 arm — instead of descending in a straiglit Hue, 

 is directed backwards, so that the knee appears 

 to recede from it, tlie horse is said to be calf- 

 kneed, a term which expressly conveys the 

 idea we have of this formation, which is always 

 objectionable for the saddle, thougli it may do 

 for the collar. The leg should fall in exactly 

 perpendicular from the carcase, and be short 

 when compared with the arm — tlio converse 

 of this being indicative of weakness — and of 

 sufficient breadth to enable a purchaser, even 

 at a distance, to distinguish the tendons and 

 bone, with perfect clearness in their relative 

 situations. If this cannot be done, there is 

 reason to suspect tiiat he is wliat is called 

 gummy — an eftect produced by hard or pre- 

 mature work, for it is never a natural defect. 

 Should the legs be round and straight below, 

 they are called sliJty, and are never firm and 

 good ; but the best, and only correct way to 

 judge of these members, is to pass the hand 

 down them. If they measure much round, 

 and the sinews feel firm, hard, and distinct, 

 like ■well-braced cords ; and if the intervening 

 spaces between bone and sinew are clean — free 

 from gum — we may pronounce them good. 



The fetlock, as a joint, should be of large 

 dimensions, in proportion to the other parts. 

 No joint, in fact, is too large, provided its bony 

 prominences are seen with the naked eye, and 

 its ligaments perfectly perceptible to tiie touch 

 of our fingers. Knuckling over in the fetlock 

 is a sign of either original mal.formation, such 

 as uprightness in the pasterns, or else is the 

 result of hard work ; and the tottering aflec- 

 tion of the limb, accompanying this state, is 

 caused by local debility, and excessive irrita- 

 bility in the nervous system. The pasterns 



[good points. 



always deserve tlie attention of tho buver: 

 whou good, their lengtli is in proportion to 

 that of other purls ; and tla-y siiould huvo a 

 considerable obliijuo inclination downwards 

 and forwards to the foot. Jlorsen willi very 

 oblicpie pasterns, are likely to break down; 

 and, for this reason, they should never bo bhod 

 with tliin-heeled shoes. On tho other hand, 

 if they are very nliort and upright in theso 

 joints, they are seldom or ever sure-footed, and 

 will, from work, soon become stilty or groggy. 



The hoof is the next point to be considered, 

 and we cannot be too careful in its examina- 

 tion. "No foot, no horse," is a trite, but verv 

 true saying. I'irst, we siiould look to its size. 

 A small foot is not only objectionable in itself, 

 even though it be a natural formation, but is 

 often a characteristic of disease ; and a small 

 and upright hoof is a morbid leature in a horse. 

 White hoofs are to be viewed with suspicion, 

 for they are really weaker, and more liable to 

 disease than black ones; and if an animal has 

 one white, and the other dark, and he is lame, 

 in nine cases out of ten, it will be found that the 

 halting arises from some affection in the white 

 hoof. It must be observed, too, that the na- 

 tural form of the hoof is not destroyed by 

 narrowness at the heels. A good hoof is cir- 

 cular in the tread, or nearly so, measuring as 

 much from side to side as from toe to heel: 

 but it is frequently found that hoofs that are 

 morbid, measure as much from toe to heel 

 as twice the lateral diameter. On the other 

 hand, the wall of the hoof, which should, at all 

 times, be perfectly smooth and free from ridges 

 — the contrary indicating disease — may be very 

 oblique ; in which case it is not only circular, 

 but spreads out, in the tread, to such a degree 

 as enables a judge at once to pronounce it in a 

 state of morbidity. Large horses, bred in low 

 marshy situations, are most subject to this kind 

 of foot; and the strong and upright foot is 

 likely to become contracted ; so is this one sub- 

 ject to a disease called ileshy soles. Indeed, 

 in the former, the sole is concave ; but, in llio 

 latter, it is flat, on whicli account dill'ereut 

 modes of shoeing are necessary, in order lo 

 meet the requirements of each case. 



In speaking of tlie body or carcase, it may bo 

 subdivided into tho chest, the belly, and tlie 

 loins. So far as regards the constitution of 

 the horse, bis stamiua, or his bottom, no part 



157 



