PRACTICAL SOUNDNESS. 7 



in question may be absolute unsoundnesses in themselves, 

 or may be open to opinion on that point. Thus, if a 

 veterinary surgeon on examining a horse, found that he 

 had a thrush or curb, or had both of these ailments at 

 the same time, or had a slightly enlarged fetlock joint, 

 he might, very reasonably, state in his certificate, after 

 mentioninsr the defects which he had found, that the 

 horse was *' practically sound;" supposing, that the 

 thrush was not an aggravated one; that neither the 

 back of the hock, nor the fetlock-joint, exhibited any 

 symptoms of recent inflammation ; and that the animal's 

 action was unimpaired. This expression is, as we may 

 see, a very elastic one ; is entirely a matter of individual 

 opinion ; and, when applied to a horse, means that he is 

 actually unsound, although to a modified extent. A 

 few veterinary surgeons, who, I am glad to say, form an 

 insignificantly small minority in the profession, use it 

 to save themselves, even if the horse they are examining 

 fulfils all the usual requirements ; lest, perchance, he 

 might reflect discredit on them by developing, in the 

 future, some form of unsoundness which they, at the 

 time, were unable to discern. I need hardly say, that if 

 a man can find nothing in a horse that interferes, or is 

 likely to interfere, with its usefulness, he is conscien- 

 tiously bound to pass the animal sound, without making 

 any selfish reservation ; and that, if he shirks the respon- 

 sibility of his position, he does not do the correct thing 



