30 THE HORSE S FOOI, 



smallest injury to the navicular joint; and we have aim 

 seen the beautiful provision nature has made for its pra- 

 tection from injury in the elastic cushion interposed be- 

 tween it and the horny frog. It shall now be my endeavor to 

 show in what manner a loose box tends to keep this cushioD 

 in a healthy state of elasticity. 



Nature fomis nothing in vain ; all her works are designed 

 for specific purposes ; each organ has its separate function 

 assigned to it ; and the only condition upon which she will 

 consent to keep it in efficient repair, is the regular and 

 periodical performance of that function. For instance, sup- 

 pose an accident deprive a man of the use of his arm for a 

 few months ; the muscles at the end of that period will be 

 found visibly shrunk, and the whole arm considerably smaller 

 than its companion, constituting, in horsemen's language, " a 

 very bad match." Here the non-employment of the muscles 

 has accelerated the process of absorption, while that of res- 

 toration has been nearly suspended. The muscles of the 

 other arm on the contrary, being regularly employed, have- 

 earned and received their due measure of restoration, and 

 retain their origrinal dimensions : and so it is with the elastic 

 cushion in the horse's foot ; if we deprive the horse of the 

 power of alternately expanding and contracting his foot, as 

 nature intended he should do, this cushion will shrink and 

 lose its elasticity ; but if we supply him with the means of 

 doing so, he will avail himself of them, and its elasticity 

 will be retained to a good old age. 



The almost perpetual movement of a horse in a state of 

 nature, while grazing, greatly tends to preserve the different 

 elastic parts of his foot in a sound and healthy condition, by 

 the regular compression and expansion which they undergo,, 

 according as his weight is thrown upon or removed from 

 them ; but if we chain him to a post for twenty-two out of 

 every twenty-four hours, we can scarcely wonder that so 

 unnatural a proceeding should derange an organ that re- 

 quires motion to preserve it in health. Take, in illustration 

 of the mischievous tendency of this practice, the horses of a 

 cavalry regiment : they have every thing in favor of sound 

 feet except the stall and the rack chain ; they are entirely 

 exempt from the hard work which is generally referred to 

 as the cause of grogginess ; they have no oft-repeated and 

 long journeys to perform at a fast pace on the hard road ; 

 their exercise, shoeing, grooming, and feeding are all ad- 

 ministered with clockwork regularity ; the litter is carefully 



