192 



THE STRUCTURE OF THE HORSE 



domain of natural history, except in so far that a know- 

 ledge of the structure and action of the foot in its 

 natural state ought to be a guide to those ^hose duty 

 it is to counteract the unnatural condition? to which we 

 subject it. 



ADDENDUM TO CHAPTER II 



Those who have the care of horses in a domesticated 

 state may learn a practical lesson from what has been 

 stated in this and the first chapter (p. 38) of their 

 habits in a state of nature. All existing species of the 

 family are dwellers in dry, open, and generally elevated 

 plains. None are inhabitants of gloomy forests or 

 reeking marshes. Fresh air, dryness and light are 

 essential to their well-being. Darkness and damp, 

 which some animals delight and thrive in, are utterly 

 uncongenial to horses. The neglect of this consider- 

 ation, so frequently seen in the construction and 

 management of stables, is not only unkind to the 

 animals, but very costly to their owners. 



