JUDGING HORSES 149 



venience, and is not liable to, it is of little or no consequence. 

 The tfichnically sound horse is an exceptional individual and 

 has less actual additional value over the scrviceably sound horse 

 than is generally credited to him. 



On the other hand, the nat^ire or extent of an unsoundness 

 may be such as to cause the total disability of a horse either at 

 present or in the future. Servicealile soundness is all that it is 

 practical to seek or require ; and just what constitutes .service- 

 able soundness is arbitrarily determined by the nature of the 

 work which the horse is expected tO' do. If more thought were 

 given to the real causes of unsoundness, jiresent and prospective, 

 and less to its technical existence, it would probably give less 

 annoyance. 



The durability of any machine is a matter of construction, 

 covering tlie grade of materials used, the assembling of all parts, 

 the alignment and adjustment of all bearings and wearing parts 

 in OTder to minimize friction, distribute wear, and to facilitate 

 operation in general. Allow any little cog to slip or an adjust- 

 ment to become displaced, and either the whole machine is 

 rendered useless or its operation is greatly impaired. 



The Equine Machine. — It is so with the equine mechanism. 

 Most unsoundnesses have their origin in structural defects or 

 imperfections. The spavin and the curb make tlieir ap2iearance 

 on the crooked hind leg as a result of the cuneiform linne and 

 curb ligament being called upon to do moi'C than their normal 

 share of the work of the leg, on account of the deflection in the 

 line in which weight is home and power applied. 



Side bones are most common on the outer quarters of Avide- 

 fronted draft horses, because such hoTses are inclined to be " toe 

 narrow," which brings the oiiter quarter nearer to the centre of 

 weight bearing, thereby imposing weight and wear wliicli should 

 be borne by the other quarter. As a consequence the cartilage 

 ossifies or changes to bone. 



If an existing unsoundness has apparently developed, inde- 

 pendent of predisposing causes of confonuation, and does not 

 impair the horse's usefulness, it is of less account than when 

 the causative defect in conformation is apparent but no actual 

 unsoundness exists yet. In the first jilacc, a repetition of the 



