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I do not pretend to understand them myself, 

 though I have had some practice, and am not 

 altogether destitute of anatomical knowledge ; but 

 to make them inteUigible by description only, 

 would be hopeless to the most skilful veterinary 

 surgeon. There are however, some indications of 

 latent disease, so well marked, that any man who 

 has once heard them mentioned, will detect them ; 

 and as my object is not to write a scientific 

 treatise, for which I am not qualified, but to offer 

 a few such practical suggestions as a man who 

 has bought a score or two of horses is well able to 

 give, I will state, in popular language, what these 

 indications are. 



The foot of a horse is the first part to be ex- 

 amined. A well-made foot should, in its external 

 shape, be almost semi-circular, and inclining to 

 the conical form of a beer-tunnel. I must assume 

 that my reader is conversant with the names of 

 the different parts of the horse's foot ; if not, let 

 him turn into the next farrier's shop that he passes, 

 and five minutes will be advantageously spent in 

 acquiring them. 



To enable him to receive his lesson with more 

 advantage, I will briefly mention the principal 

 parts of this important organ. 



The foot is enclosed in a horny case called the 



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