SMALL FEE-r. 191 



fusinjx a horse for beinsr Uglit in the carcase if 

 otherwise well formed. 



SMALL FEET. 



I have alluded to small feet before in this work; 

 but then I alluded to feet being objectionable as 

 to size from contraction by disease. I now only 

 mention them as small from natural formation. 

 Many a good and perfectly sound horse is at 

 once rejected on account of his feet being un- 

 usually small, and this from a very natural sus- 

 picion that contraction has brought them to such 

 appearance. Contraction will unquestionally in- 

 duce and produce small feet. It in no shape 

 follows that small feet must have been diseased 

 to become small. It certainly requires consider- 

 able experience and professional knowledge to 

 judge of the propriety of purchasing a horse with 

 such feet ; and where there is professional advice 

 to be got for ten and sixpence, if a man to save 

 that runs any risk in purchasing, he has only to 

 blame his short-sighted parsimony if he gets a 

 lame horse. One of the great objects of this work 

 is in no way to attempt to qualify or to advise 

 the reader to judge for himself of the propriety 

 of hiiijing a faulty or suspicious looking horse, 

 but to prevent him at once rejecting such without 

 taking professional advice on the occasion, and, 



