722 EXAMINING FOR SOUNDNESS. 



Third Stage. 



Put a plain snaffle bridle on the horse ; turn him round in his 

 stall ; and examine his eyes, nostrils, and mouth. 



EXAMINATION OF THE EYES.— In order to ascertain that 

 the haw and 'conjunctiva (the membrane which lines the eyelids 

 and covers the eyes) are in a healthy condition, open the eye in 

 the following manner : After having " made much " of the horse, 

 place a hand on his nose to prevent him from going forward, or 

 catch hold of the lower lip if he wants tO' depress his head too 

 much. Then, by means of the forefinger and thumb of the other 

 hand, open the eyelids by pressing the ball of the eye into its 

 socket. This causes the haw and a large amount of the inside of 

 the eyelids to be shown. 



To examine the eyes themselves, first of all, look at them with 

 a full stream of daylight coming in on them. They should then 

 appear prominent, soft, clear, and free from tears and other signs 

 of inflammation or irritation. They should show no intolerance of 

 light, as might be indicated by their being deep-sunken; by the 

 more or less closed condition of the eyelids ; and by the haw 

 projecting more than usual over their surface. The eyelids should 

 be devoid of any unnatural fulness, and should not present that 

 peculiar wrinkled condition which is characteristic of periodic 

 ophthalmia. When an eye has suffered from an attack of this 

 not very common disease, it looks dim, weak, and smaller than 

 usual. Both eyes should be of the same size. Any excessive con- 

 vexity or flatness of the cornea should be noted, with the view 

 of ascertaining how it affects the sight. In testing for amaurosis 

 (p. 346), try the sight of one eye by shading the other, and by 

 gently moving the fingers of the disengaged hand close to the 

 uncovered eye, taking care not to touch the eyelashes, nor to 

 produce a current of air, which, by affecting the nerves of the 

 part, might make the animal blink, and might thus convey a 

 wrong impression to our mind. 



The eyes should now be examined by means of a candle, or small 

 lamp, in a place from which all other light has been excluded ; 

 the object being*to allow the pupil to dilate as much as possible, 

 so as to expose to the utmost extent the interior of the eye. If 

 this is not practicable, light coming from one direction only, such 

 as from a top window or skylight, should be employed. Light 

 reflected from white objects, such as whitewashed walls, a white 



