490 UNSOUNDNESS. 



pronounce the slightest enlargement of the pasterns, or around the coronet, to 

 be a cause of unsoundness. 



Sandoback is manifestly unsoundness. It may, however, occur without the 

 slightest warning, and no horse can be rejected on account of a sandcrack that has 

 sprung after purchase. Its usual cause is too great brittleness of the crust of the 

 hoof; but there is no infallible method of detecting this, or the degree in which it 

 must exist in order to constitute unsoundness. When the horn round the bottom 

 of the foot has chipped off so much that only a skilful smith can fasten the shoe 

 without pricking the horse, or even when there is a tendency in the horn to 

 chip and break in a much less degree than this, the horse is unsound, for this 

 brittleness of the crust is a disease of the part, or it is such an altered structure 

 of it as to interfere materially with the usefulness of the animal. 



Spavin. — Bone spavin, comprehending in its largest sense every bony tumour 

 on the hock, is not necessarily unsoundness. If the tumour affects in the 

 slightest degree the action of the horse, it is unsoundness j— even if it does not, 

 it is seldom safe to pronounce it otherwise than unsoundness. But it may pos- 

 sibly be (like splint in the fore-leg) so situated as to have no tendency to affect 

 the action. A veterinary surgeon consulted on the purchase will not always 

 reject a horse because of such a tumour. His evidence on a question of sound- 

 ness will depend on the facts. The situation and history of the tumour may be 

 such as to enable him to give a decisive opinion in a horse going sound, but not 

 often. 



Boo or Blood Spavin is unsoundness, because, although it may not be pro- 

 ductive of lameness at slow work, the rapid and powerful action of the hock in 

 quicker motion will produce permanent, yet perhaps not considerable lameness, 

 which can scarcely ever be with certainty removed. 



Splint. — It depends entirely on the situation of the bony tumour on the 

 shank-bone, whether it is to be considered as unsoundness. If it is not in the 

 neighbourhood of any joint, so as to interfere with its action, and if it does not 

 press upon any ligament or tendon, it may be no cause of unsoundness, although 

 it is often very unsightly. In many cases it may not lessen the capability and 

 value of the animal. This has been treated on at considerable length in 

 page 340. 



Stringhalt. — This singular and very unpleasant action of the hind leg 

 is decidedly an unsoundness. It is an irregular communication of nervous 

 energy to some muscle of the thigh, observable when the horse first comes 

 from the stable, and gradually ceasing on exercise. It has usually been accom- 

 panied by a more than common degree of strength and endurance. It must, 

 however, be traced to some morbid alteration of structure or function ; and it 

 rarely or never fails to deteriorate and gradually wear out the animal. 



Thickening of the Back Sinews. — Sufficient attention is not always paid 

 to the fineness of the legs of the horse. If the flexor tendons have been sprained, 

 so as to produce considerable thickening of the cellular substance in which their 

 sheaths are enveloped, they will long afterwards, or perhaps always, be liable 

 to sprain, from causes by which they would otherwise be scarcely affected. The 

 continuance of any considerable thickness around the sheaths of the tendons 

 indicates previous and violent sprain. This very thickening will fetter the 

 action of the tendons, and, after much quick work, will occasionally renew the 

 inflammation and the lameness ; therefore, such a horse cannot be sound. It 

 requires, however, a little discrimination to distinguish this from the gumminess 

 or roundness of leg, peculiar to some breeds. There should he an evident 

 difference between the injured leg and the other. 



TiioaouoHpiN, except it is of great size, is rarely productive of lameness, 

 and therefore cannot be termed unsoundness ; but as it is the consequence of 



