22 PURCHASING FROM THE STABLES. 



by a judge, though it was as large as an acorn : the 

 feel and the difference of appearance of the two fet- 

 locks, on nearly a front view, is sure to distinguish 

 it. Ossifications at the sides of the fetlock, like 

 spavins, are sometimes large, without causing lame- 

 ness ; but they are invariably productive of some slight 

 stiffness, though not discernible to every eye. If 

 the enlargement is just above the inside of the fet- 

 lock, and on the suspensory ligament, lameness will 

 generally quickly ensue on work. 



Immediately above, and in front of the fetlocks, 

 there is also frequently seen a kind of dent, the fet- 

 lock looking as if there had been too much stress on 

 it ; and so there has been. This may be produced in 

 a slight horse by a single month's riding of too heavy 

 a man, though it will take many months, with rest 

 and bandages, before it resumes its primitive clean- 

 ness. When it accompanies the large rounded shank- 

 bone, the chances are, he has been long shamefully 

 overweighted, as well as overworked ; and horses in 

 this way, though neither standing with their fetlocks 

 knuckling over, ready to " bite the dust," nor having 

 windgalls, are often more or less groggy, and you 

 run the risk of some latent internal disorganization 

 about the joints of the foot, which sooner or later 

 will produce one of those lamenesses that " come of 

 themselves." You cannot reasonably expect to dis- 

 pose of a horse again with these large rounded shank- 

 bones and dents, except as a baggage-horse. 



WINDGALLS are a most annoying eye-sore. As un- 

 fair or overwork produced them, so they will increase 

 on work. If they are not large, and no roundness 

 of the shank-bone accompanies them, and you are 



