114 CAUSES OF UNSOUNDNESS. 



animal has not perfect freedom of movement. To 

 no class of horse is this statement more applicable 

 than to those used for heavy haulage, and also to 

 hunters. The best method of detecting it, is to 

 back the animal, and to turn it sharply round. 



The Haunch. 



The external angle of the haunch constitutes 



that prominence lying immediately behind the 



upper area of the flank. It is occasionally the seat 



of injury — fracture — the point of the haunch having 



been knocked off the prominence becomes flattened, 



and this is readily detected by comparison with the 



opposite side. 



The Stifle. 



This joint corresponds with the knee joint in 

 man, and is formed by the union of three bones, 

 namely, the lower end of the thigh bone ; the upper 

 end of the tibia or second thigh bone ; and the 

 pateUa or knee-cap, in front. It is occasionally 

 the seat of rheumatic lameness ; but in young 

 animals the knee-cap will frequently slip out of its 

 place, constituting " sUpped stifle." This is an 

 accident that may happen at any moment, so that 

 a buyer has no claim against the vendor, unless 

 he can prove that it existed at the time of, or prior 



