24 PURCHASING FROM THE STABLES. 



The easiest and surest way of detecting a ring- 

 bone, is to place a couple of fresh young colts (and 

 they are quickly got at the stables) beside the one you 

 are buying ; then feel each all up the centre of the 

 pastern ; and also at the side close to the hoof, about 

 two inches from the heal. If ringbone is formed in 

 either of these places, there will be an evident differ- 

 ence in the feel, which should make you sceptical as 

 to the soundness, for ringbone is not uncommon at 

 the stables among the newly arrived horses, both old 

 and young. There are two ligaments that run down 

 on either side the pastern, and it is the centre of the 

 pasterns between these ligaments 4 '' that will show a 

 fulness and hardness ; or, if the ringbone should be 

 at the side of the coronet, about two inches from the 

 heel, you must discover it by the difference, which 

 you will if you search narrowly, first feeling one 

 horse, then another. The centre of the pastern be- 

 tween these ligaments about two inches above the 

 coronet, quite on the seat of ringbone, is sometimes a 

 little swollen, the consequence of having been fasten- 

 ed with a rope there ; but this, though common 

 enough among country horses, seldom arises from this 

 cause with Arabs. I knew a cunning fellow, who 

 purchased a new arrival from the boats with one of 

 these swellings on the off fore pastern, which unlucki- 

 ly turning out a ringbone; he cleverly tied a rope 

 round it, so as to take the hair off a little, and searching 

 out his cousin, a great connoisseur of country-breds, 

 sold it him for nearly double what he had paid. Be 

 cautious then of your friends, for ringbone often pro- 

 duces no lameness till it spreads on the joint. 



* These ligaments, in some flat-shanked, wiry-limbed, clean-pasterned 

 horses, occasionally stand out very prominent, like a piece of thick cord. 



