58 
VETERINARY JURISPRUDENCE. 
John Thompson, a farrier, of Corsham, was next called by Mr. Jones— 
In my early days I lived in Hertfordshire, and carried on the business of 
a farrier for thirteen years; after that I lived at Exeter for twenty-one 
years. I have been out of business and have lived in the neighbourhood 
of Corsham since 1854. I began business in a small way, hut finished 
largely. My attention has been drawn to the feet of horses. Mr. Belch, 
of Corsham, bred the horse in question. I saw the horse about three 
months after it was foaled. The horse was sold by Mr. Belch to Mr. 
Humming. I am stepfather to Mr. Belch. I drove the horse one year 
and three months. I never found the horse unsound; never found him 
lame; have known the horse during the whole time that Rumming had 
it. Mr. Rumming used frequently to put the horse in my stable, which 
has brought the horse continually under my eye. I never saw the horse 
in the least degree lame. He had no vice to my knowledge. I have 
driven him round Nettleton parish, and I never saw any particular 
shyness; if the horse saw an object, it sometimes waived a little ; it was 
the safest horse 1 ever rode. I have driven him by gipsy camps. The 
horse has a sound foot; it is a natural foot, but not a good foot; it has 
an enlargement on the coronet, which gives it a bad formation ; that is 
what is called a thickening of the integument—that is not unsoundness. 
The horse ought to have a broad foot. I have not seen the horse since 
the day after it was sold at Chippenham. There was a difference of 
structure in the feet from the time I knew the horse. When I took the 
horse’s shoes off, the day after the sale, I found two odd shoes. The 
shoe on the off fore foot was a very badly formed shoe, and quite suffi¬ 
cient to lame any horse, if driven for any length of time on the road. 
The shoe on the near foot was a much better-formed shoe, and the shoe 
was in a much better condition. The thickening of the integument was 
the same as when it was three months old. 1 felt the lateral cartilages, 
and there was no alteration in the structure. The horse was not 
unsound in any other respect. 
Cross-examined by Mr. Edlin—Relinquished practice as a farrier 
since 1853. I have not driven the horse during the present year. 
Cannot say whether there is any inflammation of the feet at the present 
time. Never knew the horse make a desperate shy; it waived a little 
sometimes. I might have suspected that he would shy at the gipsies. 
Shyness is a fault or vice which generally decreases. I think shyness 
curable. The horse never came to a dead stop. The shoe did not 
cause lameness, but was sufficient to do so. The horse did not go 
lame. 
Re-examined by Mr. Jones—If the horse had been galloped about 
on hard road the shoe would have been very likely to have caused 
lameness. 
Frederick Droohholding Jones, of Chipping Sodbury, veterinary sur¬ 
geon, examined by Mr. Jones—I have assisted my father, who is a 
veterinary surgeon, all my life. I have examined the horse in question. 
Such examination included the off fore leg. 1 well manipulated the 
part all round the coronet. In making that examination my attention 
was drawn to sidebones, but I found the disease did not exist in either 
leg. I produce specimens of a healthy foot, which I obtained from the 
Duke’s kennels. The cartilages, as will be seen, are healthy and 
pliable. I produce another foot, showing the diseased sidebones. If 
the disease had been in existence five or six months, as stated, I should 
have found ossification. Supposing it had been in existence before the 
31st of March last, it would have been in a developed state, and the 
foot would have presented to the touch what is seen in the foot which 
I last produced. There was no disease of the pastern-joint. The horse 
