8 SOUNDNESS IN HORSES. 



in taking a fee for work he has not faithfully performed. 

 As a rule, the more experience a practitioner has had, 

 the broader view will he take about soundness in horses, 

 few of which are free from some trivial defect or the 

 other, with which, a person inclined to be hypercritical, 

 might not fin^d serious fault. 



Modifying circumstances. — In deciding on the import- 

 ance of any defect, apart from its own gravity, we should 

 take into consideration the purpose for which the animal 

 is intended ; the work he has been doing ; his age ; and 

 any signs of former treatment which he may show. 

 Thus, a splint, in the case of a four-year-old which had 

 evidently been idle for some time, and which was intended 

 for fast harness work, should be regarded far more 

 seriously than a similar one on the leg of an aged, heavy 

 cart-horse'Which had been, up to the date of examination, 

 in constant employment between the shafts. 



x\gain, when examining a horse, if we found his feet 

 somewhat flat, and the frogs unusually large ; the fact of 

 the hoofs having been carefully filed, with the probable 

 view of making them appear smooth and upright, might 

 fairly influence us in rejecting the animal, on account 

 of his presumed liability to fever in the feet. If we 

 also observed that he had been bled from the coronet, 

 or jugular vein, our doubt would be still further 

 strengthened. I may add, that roughness of the hair 

 over the back tendons and suspensory ligament, as 



