HOW TO BUY AND SELL. 25 



contraction is not attended by inconvenience to the ani- 

 mal, it ought not to be deemed an unsoundness, although 

 in England it was legally decided as such many years 

 ago. Some persons, however, pronounce it consistent 

 with soundness, in spite of that decision. Professor 

 Coleman once remarked, that he "cared not what had 

 been decided, no jury, after such evidence as would now 

 be brought into court, could decide in favor of so absurd 

 a law." 



The statutes respecting soundness have altered, and 

 must continue to be altered, with the advance of time and 

 improved veterinary knowledge. In Xenophon's time, 

 when horses were not shod, the hardest hoof was consid- 

 ered the best and soundest, because it wore the longest, 

 although it was upright and contracted. When instruct- 

 ing his soldiers how to choose horses, he describes these 

 feet; but at the same time shows that he was aware of 

 the evils of contraction brought on by disease, and he 

 gives directions how it may be avoided. I shall here 

 only add that extreme ' developments are as bad as mal- 

 formations produced by disease or work. 



AETIFICIAL CONTRACTION. 



Artificial contraction, which must most always be the 

 result of disease, let the disease arise from bad manage- 

 ment, bad shoeing, neglect, or whatever cause, may bring 

 on inflammation. The horny sole will not contract upon 

 its contents, until either in action, or in the stable, the 

 horse ceases to rest some of his weight upon his heels. 

 This resting contracts the internal foot; the heat con- 

 tracts the horn to it, and alters the secretion, so that the 

 horn either gets thicker and stronger, or so thin and ten- 

 der as to become what is called a shelly hoof. This shows 

 that naturally small and narrow feet are very different 



