94 THE HOUSE. 



backwark, if this defect arise from work, the animal is 



Such a deformity, in itself a serious defect, is bad also 

 on account of its being such a deviation from nature as 

 will soon render the horse useless from the lameness re- 

 sulting from the concussion that the altered struc- 

 ture of the joints permits. Sometimes this knuckling 

 is produced by overwork or strains; sometimes by 

 pumice soles; and very often it arises from navicular 

 disease. 



Where either of the latter two exists, the disease is, of 

 itself, an UNSOUNDNESS. 



With the hind-legs, these observations do not hold good ; 

 for a horse may be quite upright in the joints of the hind- 

 legs, and yet be perfectly SOUND. 



A horse in this case is almost invariably as well able 

 as any other to do his work: for it must be observed that 

 nature often makes these joints much more upright than 

 those of the fore-legs, because in the latter a greater de- 

 gree of elasticity is required to break concussion, as there 

 is greater weight borne by them than by the hmd ones. 

 The rest of the fore-leg is, of necessity, of a pillar-like 

 form, to enable it to support the weight of the fore- 

 quarters in action, as well as the additional weight and 

 concussion produced by the propeller-like motion of the 

 hind-legs, and, therefore, the foreleg is possessed of few or 

 no spring appliances beyond what are contained in the 

 pastern and foot. 



The loss of even the slightest spring which is condu- 

 cive to the prevention of concussion is, evidently, a 

 serious matter; how much more serious must be the 

 deprivation of this, the largest and most important 

 spring of all. 



As the hind-legs have not the weight of the head and 

 neck to support, they are not required to be upright or 

 column-like. For their function is the propelling of the 



