28 PURCHASING FROM THE STABLES. 



when the horse is standing, should not look small, 

 but nearly as large as it does at the bottom. 



If the horn is not smooth, but ruffled, or wrinkled 

 round the crust like an oyster-shell, it is frequently 

 curable, if not very bad ; but the foot may possibly 

 have suffered severely from fever, or be one of the na- 

 tural weak feet. Whether a foot with these inequali- 

 ties of horn can be safely purchased, must depend 

 upon the strength with which the animal treads, and 

 whether it is properly formed in every other respect ; 

 if not, you will do well to reject it ; for should there 

 be nothing internally wrong, it will take a long time, 

 even with great care, before the horn will grow down 

 smooth. 



The heels of the crust should descend nearly 

 straight to the ground, not slanting and shelving for- 

 ward : they should run well back to the heels of the 

 frog, or the foot will lengthen out ; and all feet which 

 lengthen out, not descending from the coronet to the 

 toe, as perpendicularly as the angle of 45, are more 

 or less weak. But the most to be dreaded foot is 

 that which, while it gradually inclines to this hori- 

 zontal shape, has also a slight hollow about midway, 

 .either in front or round by the quarters, with the sole 

 flat ; such a foot is good for nothing save dissection, 

 notwithstanding the frog should be broad, and the 

 horse at the time not lame : a long and horizontal 

 spine is very fine ; but have nothing to do with a long 

 and horizontal foot. The sole, however, is often flat 

 without any lengthening out of the foot, and so 

 thin that it bends like a piece of whalebone. One or 

 two months' gentle riding, is generally all such a 

 foot will stand before it descends quite on a level 

 with the crust. When it sinks lower still, down to the 



