146 
OBSERVATIONS ON SOUNDNESS. 
When bursal enlargements are small, soft, free from in¬ 
flammation, and not tender upon pressure, there is but little 
to fear in giving an opinion as to the soundness of the 
animal; but when the enlargements are hard, hot, and 
sensitive, especially in aged horses, known or suspected to 
have done much work; it will be advisable to scrutinise very 
keenly the action of the limbs. There is often a rigid move¬ 
ment observable; and much also will depend upon the obliquity 
of the pasterns, as to the impairment or otherwise in the 
action of an animal having these diseases. 
It is the practice of veterinarians to pass a horse as being 
sound when he is not actually lame. The state of the law 
with regard to windgalls, as it is termed, is about the same 
as in every other affection, most ambiguous, leaving every¬ 
thing to the opinions formed by those supposed to be capable 
of advancing them. Oliphant writes as follows :—“ There 
are few horses perfectly free from windgalls, but they do not 
interfere with the action of the fetlock or cause lameness, 
except when they are numerous or large.” ci In an action 
which was brought on the warranty of a horse, the breach of 
which was windgalls, a verdict was found for the plaintiff. 
The windgalls had probably produced lameness, as there 
appeared not to have been any dispute about the unsoundness , 
but only about the form of action.” I must confess this 
quotation is not characterised by its lucidity. It states, in 
the first place, 6< there are few horses perfectly free from 
windgalls, but they do not interfere with the action of the 
fetlock or cause lameness;” secondly, plaintiff gained a ver¬ 
dict ; there was no dispute about the unsoundness, but only 
about the form of action. Whether the impairment of action 
was caused by this disease it does not state, but it must be 
presumed such is the meaning of it. 
It may be inferred that by far the great majority of horses 
suffering from these tumefied sacs are what must or ought 
to be termed practically or usefully sound; and taking the 
meaning of the word sound as given by the learned judges 
of Great Britain, no horse with bursal disease is a sound 
one, but for all practical purposes he is so. 
(To be continued .) 
