OBSERVATIONS ON INJURIES; ETC., AMONG ARMY HORSES. 73 
brought to a stand by reason of the ropes hitching round his 
legs. During the night a horse gets his head liberated and 
tries to break away, but he is checked by the heel-rope. Per- 
haps he will turn round the pillar, into the next standing, on 
the corner of which he is certain to chafe the inside of the 
the hock and leg if he turns to his right, and the inside of 
left right hock if he turns to the left — that is, supposing the 
outer leg to be the only one secured. There are two cases 
under treatment now from this cause, much tumefied and 
excoriated. 
By exerting a more or less continued strain upon the hind 
quarters, heel- ropes have a prejudicial influence upon the 
structures which enter into the formation of the hock joint, 
as well as upon other parts of the hind extremities. We will 
digress for a moment to give an extract from the f Indian 
Public Opinion 9 on the Bawul Pindee horse fair of 1868 : — 
“We cannot but lament, at the same time, the enormous 
proportion that the unsound bear to the sound horses. The 
system of sharp bits and terribly tight heel-ropes (supple- 
mented in a great many cases by other cords that bind 
together the fore feet) tells a very plain tale upon the frame 
and constitution of the young horses brought up for sale. 
We do not think we are in any way exaggerating when 
we say that at least two thirds of the three- and four-year- 
olds were more or less unsound in the hocks. This is a very 
serious matter, for whatever exertions may be made by Go- 
vernment for the amelioration of the country bred, and even 
if, as far as regards blood, bone, and symmetry, these exer- 
tions are eventually successful, the whole of the benefit will 
be at Once nullified by the stock having been ridden too 
early and tied up too tight, and thus becoming unsound and 
useless before they arrive at an age when they should be just 
commencing to repay expenses/’ 
At this fair we assisted in the examinations of the whole of 
the horses, amounting to about 450, and are able to go a step 
further than the author of the above, and to say that three 
fourths of the horses were unsound from exostosis, &c., in their 
hocks. By way of consulting the feelings of the native breeder, 
every animal was examined, no matter whether he was de- 
formed or lame on three legs. Our notes at the time say that 
there were not 5 per cent, with sound hocks, that heel-ropes, 
which are worn from the time the colt or filly is weaned, by 
exerting undue and unnatural strain or tension on the hind 
legs, are the chief causes of disease in the tarsal joints. 
Though this is so, it is perfectly astounding to see such a small 
amount of lameness. W e have seen hind legs malformed from 
XLIV. 6 
