232 THE PRACTICAL HORSE KEEPER. 



boldness in fencing ; while in the racehorse it is shown by a 

 slight shortening of stride, by unaccustomed ability to " act " 

 well on hard ground, by his showing an unusual preference for 

 leading with one leg rather than the other, and by his changing 

 his leg oftener than he was wont to do. 



PECULIARITIES OF ACTION SIMULATING LAMENESS. 



Some horses, from bad riding or driving, acquire a sort of 

 hitch or lift in their trot. 



There are some horses which walk down hill in so peculiar 

 a manner that they may be supposed to be lame. This kind 

 of walk has been termed a " three-cornered walk." The animal 

 sways from side to side most awkwardly, his hind-quarters 

 being turned to one side or the other, going forwards broadside 

 on, similar to an animal going down hill with a heavy load 

 behind him. 



If a sound horse, when trotting, has his head turned 

 towards the man who leads him going in a sort of "left 

 shoulder in " fashion he may appear to be lame on the near 

 fore-leg, on account of stepping shorter with it than with the 

 off fore. 



Some horses, when trotting very fast, appear to go lame 

 behind, by reason of the hind legs not being able to keep time 

 with the fore. 



I have known a horse always go lame in harness, although 

 he went quite sound in saddle, the cause being that, on a 

 previous occasion, when working between the shafts, one of his 

 shoulders became galled, and continuing the work for some 

 time in this state, he acquired the habit of bearing against the 

 collar as much as possible with the other shoulder. 



Intermittent lameness is often caused by rheumatism, and 

 may also characterise the early stage of navicular disease. 



Lameness disappears with exercise^ except, as a rule, in cases 



