230 THE PRACTICAL HORSE KEEPEE. 



should note, as the animal approaches, whether he "dwells " in 

 the slightest on one fore-foot more than on the other, and 

 whether he nods his head. If he does either, the observer may 

 conclude that he dwells on the sound limb, and nods his head 

 as it comes to the ground, while the other is the lame leg, 

 which the animal naturally favours by throwing the weight on 

 its fellow. An exception to this is when a horse is very lame 

 on a hind-leg the near one, for instance ; he may then nod 

 his head on the off fore coming to the ground, so that he may 

 throw as much weight in front as possible, which he naturally 

 does to the sound side. When a horse is very lame in front, 

 he may chuck up his head on the lame leg coming to the 

 ground. 



A horse lame in both fore-feet, although he may not drop 

 in his gait, will be short in action will go, as it has been more 

 forcibly than elegantly expressed, " like a cat on hot bricks." 

 Each foot is carefully put on the ground, and quickly lifted up 

 again, while at the same time there is a rolling motion of the 

 body. 



When a horse is suspected of being equally lame on both 

 fore-feet, he should be taken on to soft ground and there slowly 

 trotted. If a marked amendment in the gait is then observed, 

 one may regard the suspicion as confirmed. The time to 

 observe him is when turning. As the chief portion of the 

 weight of the horse's body is borne by his fore-legs, he will 

 not, unless when very lame, dwell on one hind-foot more than 

 the other, but will endeavour to keep the weight off the un- 

 sound limb by "hitching" up its quarter, and consequently 

 keeping it straighter than its fellow. Hence, when the animal 

 has passed the observer, he should take a rear view of the 

 croup, and should mark whether one quarter rises more than 

 the other as their respective feet come to the ground. 



When the horse has trotted past about thirty yards, he 

 should be turned, somewhat sharply, to the right-about, for 



