CONTRACTED FEET. 107 



infirmity ensues. This induces me to advise un- 

 qualified rejection of such a horse. In support of 

 such advice, — 



A friend of mine purchased a remarkably fine 

 grey horse, that had been driven in a carriage for 

 some time. He was sold from not quite matching 

 his companion. He had ring bones, but went 

 sound. My friend tried him with hounds, and 

 found him quite at home there. Living in a very soft 

 country, and seldom having far to ride to or from 

 hounds, the horse remained sound till near the 

 end of the season. He then went for a fortnight to 

 hunt with another pack ; the second time he rode 

 the horse the ground had got hard, and it hap- 

 pened there was a good deal of road riding during 

 the day. The horse showed considerable lameness 

 returning from the hunt ; he was a cripple the 

 next morning, could never be mounted after- 

 wards, or was worth one shilling. Concussion no 

 doubt, as the general cause, had originally pro- 

 duced ring bones in this truly good horse, and 

 concussion finished his career. Ossified cartilages 

 of the feet are produced from the same cause, and 

 suffer from wanting elasticity of parts to coun- 

 teract its effects. 



CONTRACTED FEET. 



So much has been written on such complaints, 

 that it is needless to say more, either on their 



