LEADING WITH THE WRONG LEG. 145 



lessened. Xow, as shoulder lamenesses, or any ' 

 lamenesses that render extension of the fore- limb 

 painful, bear no proportion in number to those of 

 the lower parts, to which pressure and concussion 

 are most painful, it will account for my remark 

 that the majority of lame horses lead with the 

 ailing limb ; for I believe it will not be denied, 

 that the nearer the ground we look for it, the 

 oftener we shall hit upon the seat of lameness in 

 the horse's fore-parts. 



The horse's fore leg is a kind of reversed py- 

 ramid of bones, and other substances, formins^ the 

 chief support of the body ; that is, it sustains the 

 heaviest portion of it. The articulations of these 

 continual bones are supplied with a cartilaginous 

 substance, destined, I presume, to soften concus- 

 sion, and are also furnished with a sinovial fluid, 

 that facilitates their moving on, or in each other, 

 without detrimental friction. If this beautiful 

 arrangement is impaired or destroyed, the contact 

 of parts with each other becomes painful at all 

 times ; but, when pressure, that is the weight of 

 the body, is added, the pain is of course increased ; 

 and, Avhat the horse does to avoid this as much as 

 possible, shows that bringing or putting the foot 

 and limb forwards contributes to this end. 



Let us look at two horses standing in their 

 stalls ; the one labouring under navicular, or 



