108 THE STUD. 



orio'in or effects ; tliev are bad enouo'h. but not 

 SO likely to suddenly cripple a horse as the last- 

 mentioned ailments. If we ascertain, by the out- 

 ward indications the animal can afford us, that 

 they are not so contracted as to cause suffering, 

 and he goes sound, or nearly so, I ^YOuld not at 

 once reject a horse under proper circumstances 

 with such feet. As a hunter, he may go pleasantly 

 and safely, and with attention will very possibly 

 never get worse. Sound he never will be ; still, if 

 more attention is paid to his feet than they had 

 been accustomed to, they may, and probably will 

 be better than they were under former and less 

 judicious management : but, as contracted feet are 

 (by w^ay of simile) not very unlike a nut, the 

 kernel of which is more or less withered, the 

 hope in a general way of restoring the internal 

 part of the foot to its w^onted healthful state, is 

 about on a par with the chance of again restoring 

 the natural juices to the kerneL The determination, 

 tlierefore, to select or reject a horse with con- 

 tracted feet, should be made first on the extent of 

 the ailment, and, secondly, on the purpose for 

 which the horse is Avanted ; for the same feet that 

 would enable him to do his business as a hunter 

 for several seasons, would probably, from concus- 

 sion on hard dry roads, cripple a hack before the 

 termination of one summer. Faulty fore feet are, 

 however, far more bearable in a hunter, at least in 



