106 THE STUD. 



Thus, in the case of splints, it is not that it 

 would be judicious or injudicious to purchase a 

 horse having a splint or splints, but whether it 

 would be advisable or its reverse to buy one with 

 such or such a description of splint ; and the same 

 thing holds good in respect of most of the fliilings 

 of the animal. 



There are two more ailments principally re- 

 stricted to the fore lesfs, that, takino^ them on the 

 whole, are such as I consider to be of a nature to 

 warrant an immediate rejection of the horse under 

 their influence. These are 



EIXG BOXES AXD SIDE BOXES. 



These are both ossifications of parts, the first 

 of the soft part above the hoof, where the hair joins 

 it, the other of the cartilages on each side of the 

 foot. The latter, in professional phrase, ossified 

 cartilages, we need describe either no further or 

 more artistically. It is enough to say that Avhen 

 once ossification of these parts has taken place, 

 the disease is incurable. The horse may work and 

 be useftd ; but if a man wishes to possess a plea- 

 sant-going animal, which I conclude my reader 

 does, to him a horse so circumstanced would be 

 useless. All (or nearly all, as the case may be) 

 elasticity of the parts is lost ; the horse will never 

 get better, but most probably worse, till total 



