EXAMINATION OF HORSES FOR SOUNDNESS. 
57 
be gained from the reading of this paper, and if by some re¬ 
mark I can excite some of the older heads to unbosom to us 
younger members some of the knowledge which long exper¬ 
ience and acute perception have bestowed upon them, I will 
have accomplished all that I could have hoped for, when I 
assumed the responsibility of undertaking so vast and so im¬ 
portant a subject. 
Each year 1 have become more and more convinced of the 
value of this branch of our profession to the community, and 
judging by the increased demand for such services, I am led 
to believe that the public are imbued with the same estimate 
of it. Very few gentlemen in the large cities will now pur¬ 
chase a valuable animal upon his own judgment or upon the 
m 
representations of his dealer. They want to know from a 
veterinary surgeon, not only if a horse is sound, but they seek 
his opinion upon the conformation, disposition, and general 
traits of the beast. I do not wish to be understood as saying 
that these latter points have anything in common with our 
duties; but I know that our clients invariably wish our judg¬ 
ment upon these matters; they lean upon us for guidance in 
their equine purchases, and often force us to an estimate of 
the horse’s monetary value—a thing which we should avoid 
wherever it is possible this side of actually offending our client. 
If the animal cannot pass a clean examination, they often make 
the issue definite by asking in so many words: “ Will he do 
my work ? ” They want to know if the horse is serviceablv 
sound. I am sorry that this is so, for I am of those who do 
not believe that it is an easy matter to say of this horse, “ he 
is sound;’* of that horse; “ he is unsound.” This could be 
done if we had certain laws laid down for our guidance; cer¬ 
tain things always constituting unsoundness ; other defects to 
be classed simply as blemishes. We all know that a certain 
defect in one animal may render him unfit to perform work, 
while the same apparent trouble in another may be no worse 
than an eyesore. It requires a fine discretion, an acute judg¬ 
ment, and long observation to do justice to the animal, and to 
the buyer. Nothing makes more enemies for the faithful 
practitioner, than examinations for soundness, A dissatisfied 
