26 EXAMINATION OF HORSES AS TO SOUNDNESS 



over. Should the sole bulge outwards, you 

 may be sure that at some time the foot has been 

 affected with fever (laminitis), and this renders 

 the horse unsound. Besides, he would jDrobably 

 have other attacks of this complaint. There- 

 fore, even if, on having the animal trotted, he is 

 found to go sound, it is best to leave him alone 

 and not purchase him. A horse that has a bulging 

 out of the soles of the feet is said to be affected 

 with dropped soles, and this is brought about by 

 the loosening of the tissues, and the consequent 

 undue ' pressure downwards of the bones within 

 the horny box, the toe of the pedal bone pressing 

 down the sole of the foot beneath it. 



Corns. — The examination of the sole of the 

 foot should still be continued with a view of 

 detecting corns, and these, if present, usually 

 make their appearance on the inside of the 

 posterior part of the sole, close up to the crust 

 or wall of the foot ; but corns, unless they are 

 bad, cannot usually be detected without the aid 

 of a drawing-knife to search for them. Corns 

 are, of course, an unsoundness, and some horses 

 are very much troubled by them, as they are 



