960 PRACTICE OF AGRICULTURE. Part III. 



6284. The pastern and fetlock iff). General usage lias applietl the term fetlock to the joint itself, and 

 pastern to the part extending from the fetlock to the oot ; properly speaking, the fetlock or footlock is 

 only the posterior part of the joint, whence grows the lock or portion of hair, which, in many horses, 

 flows over and around the hinder part of the foot ; a short and upright pastern is inelastic, and such 

 horses are uneasy goers ; they are unsafe also, for the pastern being already in so upright a position, re- 

 quires but little resistance, or only a slight shock, to bring it forwards beyond the perpendicular ; and the 

 weight of the machine then forces the animal over. Nor are these the only evils arising from this form, 

 ation, for the ends of the bones being opposed to each other in nearly a perpendicular direction, receive 

 at each movement a jar or shock, which leads to an early derangement of the joint, and to the appear- 

 ance called overshot. On the contrary, when the pasterns are too long they are frequently too oblique 

 also ; and although their elasticity may he pleasant to the rider, such formation detracts from the strength 

 of the limb. These joints both before and behind are very subject to what is called windgalls, which are 

 swellings formerly supposed full of air, whence their name ; but they are now known to contain an in- 

 creased quantity of the mucus destined to lubricate the parts in their motions. These pufFy elastic 

 tumours are originally small and hidden between the lower end of the canon and the flexor tendon, or 

 back sinew ; but when hard work has inflamed all the parts, the secretion within increases, and then 

 they become visible to the eye; but unless they are so considerable as to obstruct the due action of 

 the parts, they are no otherwise objectionable than as they tell a tale of inordinate wear of the limbs 

 generally. 



6285. The form of the pasterns influences the defect called cutting, which arises from a blow given to 

 either the fore or hind fetlocks by one leg to the other during its elevation. Horses narrow in the chest, 

 or which turn their toes out, or have other peculiarities of form, cut permanently, and are then very ob- 

 jectionable; but others only cut when fatigued, or when very low in flesh. Horses often cut when young, 

 who leave it off when furnished, and of mature growth. 



6286. The feet ig g). These essential and complex organs will be more fully examined in the anatomi- 

 cal detail, but much also presents itself to the consideration in an exterior examination. Horses might 

 be presumed to be naturally born with perfect feet ; but experience shows that defects in these organs are 

 hereditary. In some, the peculiarities of climate operate ; and in others, a constitutional predisposition 

 exists ; dependent on some cause with which we are unacquainted. 



6287. Climate influences the form of the horse's foot. In the arid plains of the east, where every im- 

 pediment to an extensive search for food is removed, the feet are hard, dry, and small ; this form, not- 

 withstanding the alterations of breed and culture, in some degree still adheres to the blood or aboriginal 

 eastern horse : artificial habits have extended the evil, and now smaU and contracted feet are to be seen 

 in every variety, except in the coarse heavy breeds. 



6288. Constitutional and hereditary causes operate on the feet. That a constitutional predisposition 

 exists in the production of a particular form of foot, we know from the fact, that dark chesnut horses 

 are more prone to contraction of the hoofs than any other coloured horse ; and that the form of the foot 

 is hereditary, may be gained from the known circumstance that some of the Lincolnshire stallions always 

 get large flat-footed progeny; while some full bred entire horses entail small upright feet on all their 

 offspring. 



6289. Local situation will also affect the form of the feet. The effect of situation is remarkably exem- 

 plified in the horses which we used to obtain from Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, and some parts of 

 Norfolk and Yorkshire, before the draining system was perfected. These horses had, almost invariably, 

 large, flat, heavy feet ; which, however convenient and natural they might prove to the animals while 

 moving on the quaggy surface of marshy districts, yet were found very unfit for quick light movements 

 in drier situations. Such horses go heavily and stumble : and as the horn of which these enormous 

 feet are formed is always weak, the anterior or front part yields to the heat and inflammation brought 

 on by exercise on hard roads, and falls inwards, which letting the weight of the body fall on the soles pushes 

 that downward ; and at last from a concave, it presents a convex surface. The feet cannot then bear 

 shoeing, but with much art and difficulty : pain and tenderness bring on lameness and uselessness ; and 

 therefore horses with such feet should be rejecteil. Feet preternaturally small are equally objectionable, 

 as betokening a disposition to contraction. Horses with a tendency to foundered feet stand with pain in 

 the stable, first placing one foot before, and then shifting it to place the other in the same situation. The 

 contraction usually begins in the heels, which are found higher than natural, and drawn inwards ; the 

 foot altogether is likewise narrower, and the sole hard and hollow. When a preternatural fulness is 

 seen around the coronets, ring-bone may be suspected ; and if heat and hardness be accompanied with 

 any tenderness in going, its existence is certain. But although too much horn is to be avoided, too little 

 produces a weak foot; in which the heels, quarters, and soles all participate : the thin horn cannot resist 

 the impressions of the stones on the road, and then lameness ensues. The under surface of the foot 

 should exhibit a full, healthy, wide frog, with bars prominent and properly inflected. The concavity of the 

 sole should be particularly attended to ; when less than natural, it is weak, when more, it indicates con- 

 traction ; whence such feet have been called too strong. "White feet are objectionable, because they are 

 found more liable to this evil than others. Corn^ are an evil to which the under surface of the foot is 

 liable, and which should always be looked for on the purchase or examination of a horse; for which pur- 

 pose, it would be well that the fore shoes should be removed, and the foot carefully pared by a judicious 

 and clever smith. Merely picking out the foot will often, also, detect the remains of former cuttings or 

 parings out of the corns. Some hoofs are very brittle, and a horse with this defect should, in every in- 

 stance, be rejected. The evil may in general be easily detected by the marks of the fragile parts detach- 

 ing themselves from every old nail-hole. This kind of foot, particularly in hot weather, breaks away till 

 there is no room for the nails to hold ; when the horse of course becomes useless. Sandcracks are also 

 another evil to which the feet are liable ; and which should engage the attention in the examination of a 

 horse : they consist of longitudinal fissures ; one only Is usually present at once ; but that one if deep is 

 fully equal to produce lameness. The subject of the feet will be concluded by an observation on their 

 general appearance, well worthy of attention. The eye should be directed to the degree and to the man. 

 ner in which the shoes are worn ; which will often save much useless trouble in trying a horse. A stum- 

 bling horse may be frequently, nay commonly, detected by simply lifting up one fore foot : for the unequal 

 wearing away of the shoe at the toe, while the other parts remain good, is a full proof of his going un- 

 safely and digging his toes. 



6290. On a review of the confwmation of the fore extremities, it may be remarked, that whereas the 

 hinder may be considered as more particularly concerned in impelling the machine forwards with its 

 requisite velocity ; yet, that upon a proper fbrm and a true direction of the various component parts of the 

 fore limbs must depend the stability, the truth, and the safety of the movements. Viewed anteriorly, the 

 fore legs should stand rather widest at the upper part, inclining a little inwards below ; but when we view 

 them latterly, they should present a perpendicular from the arm downwards ; and the toe should place 

 itself directly under the point of the shoulder, as it is called. If the foot should stand beyond this, which 

 is seldom the case, the action will be confined, for the limb will have already passed over a point of its 

 ground ; such a horse, however, generally treads even, flat, and safe ; and, in proportion as it stands in the 

 direct line downwards, he generally inherits these desirable properties. When the foot stands behmd the 

 perpendicular line the defect is considerable, by the removal of the centre of gravity too much forward, 

 by which an increased tendency to stumble and fall is entailed ; and as this in general accompanies a want 

 of extent and obliquity in the shoulder, so it likewise lessens the speed. 



6291. The hinder extremities. We have already described the thigh, correctly so 



