DISEASES, DEFECTS, ETC. 87 



thickened mucus, of different colours ; green, if the horse is 

 at grass ; or, if he be stabled, white, straiv-coloured, broivn, 

 or even bloody, and sometimes evidently mingled with 

 matter or pus ; and either constantly running, or snorted out 

 in masses many times in the day, often continuing several 

 months, and sometimes eventually destroying the horse (J). 

 Such a disease is without doubt an unsoundness. 



It occasionally happens that a horse will seldom or never Not lying 

 lie down in the stable. He sometimes continues in apparent 'i""™- 

 good health, and feeds and works well ; but generally his 

 legs swell, or he becomes fatigued sooner than other 

 horses (c). It is a bad habit, and when decidedly injurious 

 to his health, and so tending to impair his usefulness, it is 

 a vice. 



Opacity of the cystalline lens of the eye is an unsoundness. Opacity of 

 See blindness (f^). _ *^^l'^'i'- 



The slide cartilages occupy a considerable portion of the Ossification of 

 external side and back part of the foot, the expansion of the ^'^'^ cartilages. 

 upper part of which they are designed to preserve. These 

 cartilages are subject to inflammation, and the result of 

 that inflammation is, that the cartilages are absorbed, and 

 bone is substituted in their stead. This ossification of the 

 cartilages frequently accompanies ringbone (e) ; but it may 

 exist without any affection of the pastern joint. It is 

 oftenest found in horses of heavy draught. It arises not so 

 much from concussion as from a species of sprain ; for the 

 pace of such heavy horses is slow. The cause, indeed, is 

 not well understood, but of the effect the instances are very 

 numerous, few heavy draught horses arriving at old age 

 without this change of structure (/). Like ringbone [g), it 

 is an unsoundness (li). 



This very disagreeable noise, known by the name of Overreach. 

 " clicking," " overreach," &c., arises from the toe of the hind 

 foot knocking against the shoe of the fore foot («'). It is not 

 altogether free from danger, as a horse may lame himself 

 by it ; or if the fore and hind shoes become locked, he will 

 be suddenly thrown. As to the effects of a neglected tread 

 or overreach, see false-quarter {k) and quittor (/). This 



(J) Lib. U. K. "The Horse," 310. 

 121. is) Eingbone, post. 



(e) Lib. U. K. "The Horse," (A) See Simpson \. Fotts, A-p^en- 



341. See App. to Lib. U. K. Ed. dix. _ 



1862, p. 521. (J) Lib. tJ. K. "The Horse," 



Id) Blindness, ante, p. 67. 341. 



(e) Ringbone, post. (i) False-quarter, ante, p. 79. 



{/) Lib. TJ. K. " The Horse," [l) Quittor, post. 



