10 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 
softness of the skin, and the tone of the hair. If the subcutaneous fat 
has disappeared and the muscles are wasted, allowing the bony 
prominences to stand out; if the skin is tight and inelastic and the 
coat dry and harsh, we have evidence of a low state of nutrition. 
This may have resulted from a severe and long-continued disease or 
from lack of proper feed and care. When an animal is emaciated— 
that is, becomes thin—there is first a loss of fat and later the muscles 
shrink. By observing the amount of shrinkage in the muscles one 
has some indication as to the duration of the unfavorable conditions 
under which the animal has lived. 
By constitution we understand the innate ability of the animal to 
withstand disease or unfavorable conditions of life. The constitution 
depends largely upon the conformation. The type of construction 
that usually accompanies the best constitution is deep, broad chest, 
allowing plenty of room for the lungs and heart, indicating that 
these vital organs are well developed; capacious abdomen, allowing 
sufficient space for well-developed organs of digestion; the loins 
should be short—that is, the space should be short between the last 
rib and the point of the hip; the head and neck should be well molded, 
without superfluous or useless tissue; this gives a clear-cut throat. 
The ears, eyes, and face should have an expression of alertness and 
good breeding. The muscular development should be good; the 
shoulders, forearms, croup, and thighs must have the appearance of 
strength. The withers are sharp, which means that they are not 
loaded with useless, superfluous tissue; the legs are straight and their 
axes are parallel; the knees and hocks are low, which means that the 
forearms and thighs are long and the cannons relatively short. The 
cannons are broad from in front to behind and relatively thin from 
side to side. This means that the bony and tendinous structures of 
the legs are well developed and well placed. The hoofs are compact, 
tense, firm structures, and their soles are concave and frogs large. 
Such a horse is likely to have a good constitution and to be able to 
resist hard work, fatigue, and disease to a maximum degree. On the 
other hand, a poor constitution is indicated by a shallow, narrow - 
chest, small bones, long loins, coarse neck and head, with thick throat, 
small, bony, and muscular development, short thighs and forearms, 
small joints, long, round cannons, and hoofs of open texture with flat 
soles. ; 
The temperament is indicated by the manner in which the horse 
responds to external stimuli. When the horse is spoken to, or when 
he sees or feels anything that stimulates or gives alarm, if he re- 
sponds actively, quickly, and intelligently, he is said to be of lively, 
or nervous, temperament. On the other hand, if he responds in a 
slow, sluggish manner, he is said to have a sluggish, or lymphatic, 
