HEREDITARY UNSOUNDNESS 11 



ample of an influence which tends to counter- 

 balance the ill effects of a defective formation, 

 but renders complicated the study of formation 

 as a predisposing cause of unsoundness. One, 

 then, has to weigh the influence of compensating 

 conditions in determining the ill-consequences 

 likely to result from defective formations of feet 

 when transmitted to offspring. That defective 

 formation of feet is handed down to progeny 

 there is no manner of doubt. The predisposition 

 to ringbone is undoubtedly hereditary, and when 

 the pastern is of good formation one seldom finds 

 it unless it is the result of some extraordinarily 

 exciting cause. The two extremes of long, light 

 oblique pasterns, and the short, straight coarse 

 ones, are both predisposed, the former from the 

 tension to which the ligaments are subjected, and 

 consequent tendency to sprain, and the latter 

 from the increased tendency to concussion. As 

 we proceed up the front leg we find defective for- 

 mation in the neighborhood of the knee, predis- 

 posing to unsoundness. Many horses that are 

 more or less knee-sprung are practically sound. 

 Others become progressively weak and are de- 

 cidedly unsound; so that we are not much amiss 

 in characterizing the condition called knee- 

 sprung as an hereditary unsoundness. A com- 

 mission was appointed some years ago in Eng- 

 land to make out a list of hereditary unsound- 



