168 The House Industky in New York State 



It appears remarkable that at about the seventh century of our 

 era horses were ahnost extinct, since when Mohammed attacked 

 Koreish near Mecca he had but two horses. At the close of his 

 murderous campaign he drove oft" 24,000 camels, 40,000 sheep 

 and not one horse appears on the list. 



The earliest record of the horse in Great Britain is contained 

 in the history given by Julius Caesar of his invasion of that 

 island. We find that the improvement of horses began about the 

 eleventh century by William the Conqueror, or the j^orman. 



In the reigii of Henry I, A. D. 1121, the first Arabian horse 

 was introduced, and from that time till now there has been a 

 continual improvement in the various breeds of horses. It is not 

 my intention to here discuss them at length, since all localities 

 have their admirers of the different kinds, from the Shetland 

 Pony to noble Clyde or Percheon. 



ANATOMICAL REVIEW OF THE FOOT 



In a description of the foot of the horse it is customary to in- 

 clude only the hoof and its contents, yet, from a zoological stand- 

 point, the foot includes all the leg from the knee and the hock 

 dowm. 



The foot of the horse is undoubtedly the most important part 

 of the animal in so far as veterinary surgery is concerned, for the 

 reason that this member is subject to so many injuries and dis- 

 eases, which in part or in whole render the patient unfit for the 

 labor demanded of him. 



The old aphorism " no foot no horse" is as true today as when 

 first expressed. In fact, domestication, coupled with the multi- 

 plied uses to which the animal is put, and the constant repro- 

 duction of hereditary defects and tendencies, has largely trans- 

 formed the ancient " companion of the wind " into a very common 

 piece of machinery which is often out of repair, and at best is 

 but short lived in its usefulness. 



Since the value of the horse depends largely or even entirely 

 upon his ability to labor, it is essential that his organs of locomo- 

 tion should be kept sound ; and to accomplish this end it is neces- 

 sary not only to know how to cure all diseases to which these 

 organs are liable, but, better still, how to prevent them. 



