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REFLECTIONS. 



N reflecting upon the various motions a 

 horfe makes, and upon the ftructure of his 

 foot, we cannot be furprifed to find this part 

 liable to fo many accidents. Experience mews 

 us that for one horfe who is lamed in the 

 haunch or moulder, an hundred have it in the 

 foot, and that the knowledge of this part me- 

 rits all our attention : I am of opinion thefe ac- 

 cidents happen chiefly to draught-horfes, and 

 not to thcfe of the faddle j I alfo think that 

 it is the different attitudes of a horfe's foot over- 

 charged at the fame time with the weight of his 

 body, that caufe the different fractures of the 

 coronary and nut-bones -, for when the foot has 

 not a direct pofltion, the joints are twifted, as 

 when a horfe treads upon the point or toe ot 

 the hoof, the upper and inner part of the coro- 

 nary-bone, which is in an oblique pofltion, 

 preffed in that ftate by the burthen of his own 

 body, is forced to yield on one fide, and rife on 

 the other, its lower and back part, which now 

 rifes, drives the nut- bone againft the TendoAchil • 

 lis which fuftains it, the tendon preffes in its 

 turn againft the flefhy fole, which is alfo com- 

 preffed againft the horny fole, which is its 



point 



