AND HOW TO KEEP IT SOUND. . 87 



removed from under their feet during the day ; the veterinary 

 surgeon is always at hand, to attend to the first symptom 

 of lameness ; and still there are more horses cast as un- 

 serviceable every year from disabilities commencing in the 

 foot, than from all other causes combined. The rest, and 

 not the work^ has wrought the ill. Now let us see how loose 

 boxes are to prevent these evils. When a horse is free to 

 move, he very rarely remains long in the same place or the 

 same position ; he is perpetually turning himself about, 

 either to catch a distant sound, or observe an approaching 

 footstep : every thing attracts him ; every thing interests 

 him ; and, what is of far greater moment, every thing causes 

 him to move ; whereby each foot is benefited to the extent 

 of some four or five expansions and contractions ; and the 

 sound of the corn-bin at feeding-time will produce at least 

 fifty such. It is far otherwise with the poor beast chained 

 up in a stall ; he is attracted by the same sounds ; hears 

 the same step approach ; and feels the same interest : he 

 pricks his ears, bends his head, and strains his neck ; but 

 alas ! he does not move ; his feet are not expanded ; turning 

 about he knows to be impossible, and therefore he does not 

 attempt it ; even the sound of the corn-bin, though it excite 

 him to jump and play, will scarcely cause him to expand 

 his feet ; the excitement inclines him to rush forward, while 

 the wall forbids him to comply ; and he is forced to collect 

 himself, so as to throw his weight upon his hind quarters, 

 almost to the entire exclusion of the fore feet. Horses ac- 

 customed to a loose box generally acquire a slow, deliberate 

 movement in it, allowing their weight to dwell evenly and 

 fully upon each fore foot ; while those kept in a stall for the 

 most part move in it with a quick, sudden, catching motion, 

 scarcely ever intrusting their whole weight to either foot for 

 more than an instant. 



In speaking of the baneful effects of stalls, Mr. Turner 

 says, " I firmly believe, that if every valuable horse in this 

 kingdom were to be forthwith turned into a large box, night 

 and day, besides the continuance at his ordinary work, i1 

 would prove the worst event for veterinary surgeons that haa 

 ever happened in the horse world ; because it would teno 

 more to cut off our supply of groggy lameness and its at- 

 tendants, than any circumstance or single cause that haa 

 ever yet been published or even named." 



With the expression of my entire concurrence in this 

 opinion, I will proceed to consider the objections commonly 



4 



