450 
MOOllCROFT’S LETTERS. 
to remove more than the inconvenience immediately resulting from 
such effect. Now, in lameness coupled with contraction, great 
experience and habits of observation are necessary to make out 
whether the lameness arises from contraction, or whether the con- 
traction itself does not follow some lameness in the foot. I will 
help you to the criteria which assist me in judging in such cases. 
When contraction produces lameness, it generally happens that the 
lameness has come on by degrees ; that the horse has gone, on first 
quitting the stable, a little cripply, and sound after being out for a 
time. Again, in such case the contraction is equal or nearly equal in 
both feet. It is only in very inveterate cases of pure contraction 
that the horse puts his feet much forward in the stable. Contrac- 
tion may be connected with corns, but this is made out by cutting 
into the angle of the heels. Now, when injury has been sustained 
in the coffin-joint, as in the instance before alluded to, happening 
from the violent pitching of the limb on a pointed and hard sub- 
stance, favouring the foot occurs before any contraction is ob- 
servable. The history of the case may here be of some service. 
When a horse suffers much from a coffin-joint lameness in one 
foot, it frequently happens that he becomes lame likewise on the 
other foot, from bearing too much of his weight on it. Many a 
horse is brought to me with an enlarged fetlock joint on one fore- 
leg, for which the owner thinks he requires treatment, when, in 
fact, the enlargement is only owing to the cause just mentioned; 
but by this state of affairs continuing, in process of time both feet 
become diseased, and the horse is incurable. Your case has fea- 
tures in it, which, from your statement, appear awkward ; and I 
have put you to the expense of this long letter, in order that you 
may form some opinion whether your horse is lame from pure con- 
traction, or from contraction connected with deep-seated injury of 
the foot. The information I have endeavoured to convey, you 
may, perhaps, not thank me for ; however, if I had understood 
completely the facts heretofore stated many years ago, I should 
have saved myself much disappointment, and my employers much 
expense. 
If, after looking narrowly into your horse’s feet, you think that 
a statement to me would in any degree be useful, you know that 
