34 STRINGHALT. 
motions over, the horse proceeds, nor is the symptom usually witnessed 
again till the animal has once more to start; although a few exceptional 
cases are on record where stringhalt was perceptible at every step. 
Was 
A HORSE HAVING STRINGHALT MUST MAKE SEVERAL INVOLUNTARY MOVEMENTS WITH THE HIND LEGS 
BEFORE IT CAN PROGRESS. 
Guilford, the racer, exhibited the disease in its worst form. In that 
animal, stringhalt was present in such severity as prevented the signal 
being obeyed before the several eccentric movements had been performed. 
The horse was esteemed good for its purposes; but the ground lost at 
starting gave away its chances, and it was consequently sold. From the 
pampered stable of the race-horse, it descended rapidly through various 
grades until the creature came to be harnessed to a London omnibus. 
While in that position, the disease was so aggravated that the pastern 
used to hit violently against the belly, till the hair of both was partially 
removed by the repeated blows. The Society for the Prevention of 
Cruelty then purchased the miserable carcass for three pounds, and had 
the life and the suffering extinguished. 
The body was given to the Royal Veterinary College for dissection. 
Professor Spooner relates that he found blood effused on the sheath of 
the sacro-sciatic nerve. This, however, must have been an accident pro- 
duced by the death struggle: that nerve moves the flexor muscles. 
Stringhalt is the disease of the extensor muscles only; therefore, the 
