DURATION OF LEGS SOUND AND UNSOUND. II5 
of Cracovienne is a remarkable one to the point. To all 
appearances she was the soundest mare in the world; but 
she broke down standing in a loose box, and from the severe 
effects of this breakdown she never recovered, and after 
baffling all veterinary skill had to be put to the stud. On the 
other hand, Wapiti, Vauban, and Virago were so bad on their 
legs that their most sanguine admirers scarcely hoped to see 
them many times at the post, if at all. As it turned out, Wapiti 
was the best mare of her year, and was never beaten. It is 
true she never ran except as a two-year-old ; but the other 
two I have named won many and large races as three-year- 
olds over very trying courses, astonishing every one, and not 
least their trainers. As Mr. Copperthwaite justly remarks : 
“Some legs last longer than others, and in many instances 
doubtful-looking ones prove the best.” 
All that has been said in relation to the leg applies with equal 
force to the hock. The worst-looking hocks, with spavins and 
curbs, often stand the test of work, whilst the perfectly-shaped 
ones will give way with little or no warning, and never get 
right again, treat them as you will. No one would like to 
buy horses with malformed hocks and legs except at a greatly 
reduced price. But when they can be had cheap, I should 
not mind buying them, if I did not think the defects too bad 
and liked their appearance in other respects. Zhe Deformed 
had her fore feet twisted in so much that her toes nearly 
touched each other as she stood; and her knees were so far 
apart that one might have wheeled a wheelbarrow between 
them without touching one or the other. Yet shaped like 
this she could not only run, but well, and won many races. 
Like Wapiti and Virago, she was a beautiful and very fine 
mare down to her knees, but dreadfully bad below. 
In hocks I should not much object to a spavin or a curb; 
I 2 
