EELATIVE UNSOUNDNESS. 33 



will apply to naturally small feet which are of the same 

 size. If one foot be, from birth, smaller than its fellow, 

 or if it has become so from disuse during early youth, 

 the animal, notwithstanding this defect, will be sound, 

 if the defect in question neither diminishes his useful- 

 ness, nor is likely to diminish his usefulness. This 

 point will, of course, have to be determined by careful 

 trial and observation. Contraction of the foot, as a 

 diseased condition, is usually the result of navicular 

 disease, which, almost always, causes the horse to go 

 " upon his toe," and, consequently, throws the structures 

 in rear more or less out of work. Formerly, contrac- 

 tion was erroneously looked upon as a cause, and not as 

 result, of unsoundness. " Contracted heels " are, chiefly, 

 brought on by the horse going on his toe ; by allow- 

 ing the heels to grow too long ; by improper shoeing ; 

 and by the practice of cutting away the bars and 

 frog. We find thrush frequently associated with con- 

 tracted heels. I need hardly say, that the veterinary 

 surgeon would be extremely chary of giving a certificate 

 of soundness to an animal with " odd " or contracted 

 feet. 



Cornea, specks on the. — The cornea is not very un- 

 frequently wounded by accident. The scar is at first of 

 a bluish colour, but subsequently turns white ; a fact 

 which may afford some clue to the length of time that 

 has elapsed since the wound was inflicted. I may 



D 



