90 THE FOOT. 



bargain : the horse is too dear, or is found to 

 have some defect in his action or conformation, 

 and the thrush is made a handle of to get rid of 

 the horse altogether. 



Not long- ago, I was one of those who do 

 not consider every case of thrush an unsound- 

 ness : but I find so much difiiculty in fixing upon 

 the proper degree in which it must exist to do 

 so, that I now consider thrush as one of those 

 diseases, that, strictly speaking, make a horse 

 less useful than he would be without it. If it 

 be neglected, it will increase : the frog will 

 become tender, and the horse shows it, when 

 among small stones, or on a newly metalled 

 road. The foot contracts : and if, at this 

 period, any attempt is made to dry the discharge, 

 the horse becomes lame, unless it is very gradu- 

 ally accomplished : and then too, not an unfre- 

 quent result of long continued thrush is a much 

 more formidable disease, called Canker, which 

 is tedious and difficult to cure ; so that upon the 

 whole, a thrush may not be so trifling a matter 

 as is generally considered. It is an unsound- 

 ness, according to our definition of that word. 

 I am aware, that in its commencement, it is 

 very readily cured, and the seller never fails to 



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