THE SCIENTIFIC EQUITATION 



ically employed than their mates, develop less 

 strength. In the end, slight atrophies result which 

 derange the precise equality of the strides, steps, 

 and gaits. The horse does not go sound, and is con- 

 demned as lame. Naturally, such "side** is a more 

 serious matter for a horse than for a man, since the 

 horse gets its utility from its locomotion and the 

 movement of its four members. 



This inequality, this atrophy, is not easily located 

 by the non-professional, often not even by the veter- 

 inarian. The inequality or the lameness is apparent. 

 But which leg is at fault, or where in the stride the 

 derangement occurs, is, in the opinion of competent 

 veterinarians, a very complicated problem. The 

 cause may be in a hind leg, while the effect appears 

 in a perfectly sound front one. 



Recognizing the importance of this matter, and 

 interested also because of my ownership of a great 

 variety of horses in my different schools, I have 

 studied the problem deeply, and as the result of 

 wide experience aided by experiments, I have devel- 

 oped a system which was adopted by General P. H. 

 Sheridan, after a favorable report from a board 

 of army officers. 



This system involves locating the derangement, 

 discovering its causes, and then repairing the defect 

 by means of the low airs of the high school. A com- 

 plete account is beyond the scope of the present 

 work, but I shall be glad to supply complete in- 

 formation to the interested reader. I touch upon 



240 



