8PEEUY CUTTING. 



89 



extremely dangerous to the rider, especially when jumping, and 

 should consequently be a disqualification, as a rule, to a hunter ; 

 although a chaser which is liable to hit himself in this manner, 

 may be got to do his work by the aid of boots, without accident. 

 The preventive measures are of a nature similar to those for brush- 

 ing. The speedy-cutting boot should come high up on the side of 

 the knee, if the defective action is in front, which is almost always 

 the case in animals given to this fault ; for the bony prominences at 

 the inside of the knee may get hit with disastrous results to the 

 animal or its rider, or to both. The boot should be of fairly stout 



I 



Figs. 2)7 ii'id 38- — Cloth boot to prevent brushing. 



leather, and lined with some soft mat-erial, such as felt, to take off 

 the jar of the blow. Much can be done in checking the tendency 

 to speedy cut, by good breaking and capable riding, so as to make 

 the horse move in a well collected manner. Sometimes, removing 

 the shoe and adjusting the "bearing" surface, say, every three 

 weeks, will prevent this injury. Lacombe's pad (sold by Willows, 

 Francis and Butler) acts well with horses w^hich are liable to speedy 

 cut and brush, as it can be made to cover the portion of the shoe 

 that inflicts the blow. 



Young horses which speedy cut may subsequently abandon the 

 habit as they grow older and stronger. 



SYMPTOMS. — Heat, swelling, with more or less fever and pain. 

 In two or three days an abscess may appear. Sometimes, the part 

 is wounded rather than bruised. 



