AS TO SOUNDNESS. 143 
~~) 
‘ought to be, and methodical, in their examinations of 
horses as to soundness. 
From commencing at the near side nostril to the 
terminating at the off hind limb, with very little practice, 
you ought not in any case to be longer than five 
minutes. Practise going through the movements on 
some horse in a quiet place for half an hour a day 
for a fortnight ; but let it be a sound horse, if possible, 
in order that you may educate your sense of touch, and 
train your mind to recognising, through the touch, the 
1. Normal form, 
. Size, 
. Warmth, 
Hardness, 
. Softness, 
Elasticity, 
7. Non-elasticity 
or the various structures; and when you have learned 
this, and acquired this actus eruditus, or educated touch, 
‘you will have nothing to fear, provided you always apply 
the tactus eruditus with method. Nothing convinces me 
Aun BY 
more, next to my own experience of the value of this 
educated touch, than the readiness and accuracy with 
which all good grooms detect undue heat in a part, or 
any swelling or other abnormality. They detect it at 
once by their educated touch ; but in ‘their case they are 
for the most part unacquainted with the structure and 
tunctions of the mechanism, so that they can act as 
beacons only. 
