50 



OVERREACH. FORGING. [BOOK I. 



Fig. 6. the disproportionate length of 



legs before or behind (see fig. 6.) 

 But, when it so happens that 

 the strength of the parts resists 

 this bending of the hough or 

 of the knee, such horses walk 

 higher behind than before, and 

 vice versa; i. e. when one pair 

 of legs seem to have out- 

 grown the other pair, a defect 

 which, though often overlook- 

 ed, is no less deserving of 

 notice, — the wound termed 

 " overreach" is inflicted by 

 the hind leg of this formation 

 " Forging" is, likewise, occa- 

 sioned by the hinder toes striking the shoe or 

 shoes of the fore feet ; and is sometimes brought 

 on by injudicious shoeing on feet of the very 

 best construction, and a loose rein; it is, there- 

 fore, to be corrected only by the contrary practice, 

 keeping the hind toes short, and the heel of the 

 fore foot low, and riding with the reins borne 

 up. By those means, the fore hoof will spread 

 at the heel, and the animal be enabled to take it 

 out of the way in time for the hind foot to occupy 

 the identical spot on the ground it had just quitted; 

 for very few horses have the greyhound-tread of 

 Eclipse before noticed, wherein the hind feet tread 

 much wider than the fore feet. Neither is such a 

 gift desirable to any but racers, perhaps ; nor is it, 



upon the fore one. 



