HEREDITARY UNSOUNDNESS IN 

 HORSES 



THE question of hereditary unsoundness in all 

 its aspects is by no means an open book to the 

 horse-breeder, but it is one well worth studying 

 by him, if as thorough a knowledge as is possible 

 of this subject will tend to lessen the percentage 

 of unsound stock produced. Of the various 

 causes which tend to make horse-raising disap- 

 pointing and unprofitable, this is one of the im- 

 portant ones, if not the most important. Literal- 

 ly speaking, it is not so much the inheritance of 

 a disease itself that we fear, but it is the tendency 

 to the development of this disease. Compara- 

 tively few foals are dropped with unsoundnesses, 

 that impair their value ultimately, but there are 

 many that are foaled with a predisposition to 

 the development of unsoundness. The study of 

 this subject, then, practically resolves itself into 

 a consideration of what constitutes the predispos- 

 ing causes of unsoundness. 



They may be divided into several heads, viz: 

 Defective formation, defective quality, and in- 

 sufficient quantity of tissue and temperament. 



