PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF HORSES WHICH CUT. 



287 



sionally strike, but horses in which the limbs appear turned in 

 as high as the fetlock, and above that point recede from one 

 another, very frequently strike. Bouley states that with 

 turned-out toes the striking point is usually towards the back, 

 with turned-in toes towards the front of the foot, but this is 

 not absolutely correct. AVhen one trace is longer than the 

 other, when the horse (especially if young and fresh) becomes 

 tired, and when the shoes are much worn, striking is very apt 

 to occur. 



To minimise or prevent this fault, the examination of 

 the limbs, the gait, and the shoeing, as before indicated, must 



Fig. 279. — Examination of horse that strikes. The animal sliowu has two defects : its 

 feet are too closely placed and it crosses the feet when moving. , 



be thorough (fig. 279). Four chief points have to be borne 

 in view : the formation of the limbs, the inclination of 

 the fetlock joint of the limb which is struck, the style of 

 tread, and the part which inflicts' the injury. The more 

 closely the fetlock joint approaches the centre of the body, 

 the less the ' clearance,' and, consequently, the greater the 

 chance of striking. This is usually produced by too low 

 an inner wall : in such case the cause is to be sought in 

 the foot which is struck. It must always be remembered, 

 however, that when the limb is deformed, i.e., when the toe is 

 turned in or out, the foot will not be of normal shape, 

 and to attempt to render it so is a grave error which will 



