SOUNDNESS. 181 



mind that dishonest dealers sometimes plug the nostrils with a 

 sponge to prevent the appearance of suspicious discharge. 



The teeth should be examined for evidences of cribbing, for 

 age, and for a condition commonly known as parrot-mouth which 

 interferes with a horse feeding in pasture. 



The lips should be examined for evidence of paralysis. The 

 glands under or rather between the portions of the lower jaw- 

 should be examined particularly with reference to glanders. 



The poll should be examined for scars or other evidences of 

 present or previous poll evil. 



The withers should be examined for scars, for discharging' 

 sores and other evidences of fistulous withers. 



The shoulders should be examined for scire neck and particu- 

 larly so-called collar boils. The latter are either flat and broad or 

 more prominent tumors, which will usually subject a horse to 

 sore shoulders whenever he is put to work. 



The elbow should be examined for shoe-boil ; the knee for 

 what is commonly known as broken knee, which indicates that 

 the horse is inclined to stumble, and also for what is known as 

 knee spavin. 



The cannon or shin-bones must be examined for splints, and 

 behind them the tendons must be examined for evidences of 

 sprains and other injuries which are usually indicated by a thick- 

 ening of the parts. 



Ankles are to be examined for evidences of interfering, and 

 fractures or other injuries of the sesamoid bones and attached 

 ligaments. The region of the pastern is to be examined for ring- 

 bones, fractures and evidences of the operation known as nerving. 

 Evidences of this operation are found in scars about midway of 

 the pastern on each side, just at the edge of the back tendon. 

 The sides of the back tendons should also be examined just above 

 the ankle for scars, which would suggest another nerving opera- 

 tion. The mere fact that a horse has been nerved, whether going 

 sound at the time of examination or not, is a very serious objec- 

 tion. This operation is not usually resorted to except as a meas- 

 ure of last resort, and it does not in any sense cure the original 

 disease. 



While passing along the side and flank the breathing should 

 be observed, as to wdiether it is even and regular; or jerky, sug- 



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