782 VETEEINAEY HYGIENE 



Stumbling may result from brushing, while brushing 

 results from want of condition or more commonly mal- 

 formation. The horse with toes turned out and elbows 

 turned in cannot help but brush, as he throws his feet 

 inwards during progression. Methods of prevention, such 

 as will be referred to in the section on shoeing, can never 

 do anything more than give partial protection; they cannot 

 prevent the toes being turned out and the feet deliberately 

 thrown inwards at the trot. Such a conformation with a 

 narrow chest must invariably lead to brushing. 



Young horses out of condition will brush all round, even 

 when their limbs are properly put on ; but as they gain 

 condition this entirely passes away, and unless there is 

 good reason for it, their shoes should not be altered. All 

 they require is to have their limbs protected. 



Brushing from bad shoeing or want of shoeing will also 

 occur ; by bad shoeing we mean shoes being fitted too full 

 on the inside, and by want of shoeing is meant the 

 clenches being raised by the forward growth of the foot 

 and left projecting, or a general spreading of the foot due 

 to overgrowth and neglect of shoeing. A projecting clench 

 or a shoe fitted too full are only likely to cause damage to 

 horses that naturally ' go close,' or are very tired. 



The nature of the ground has a good deal to say to 

 stumbling. Animals that move over a level and hard 

 pavement, like that met with in cities, do not pick their 

 feet up any higher than necessary. It is a time-saving 

 arrangement on a surface containing no projections, but a 

 very dangerous proceeding where irregularity in the surface 

 occurs. 



Many horses, like Arabs, have naturally very low action 

 at the walk, but though they frequently ' peck ' it is 

 seldom they come down. The fact is they become very 

 clever at recovering themselves after a stumble, their move- 

 ments to recover being quicker than the actual stumble. 

 They are, however, very unpleasant horses to ride at a 

 walk, especially as they expect stumbling to be followed by 

 punishment. At the trot they are frequently perfectly safe. 



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