560 
SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
such as are hereditary. This distinguishes the question of sound¬ 
ness fiom external form, a necessary reformation, judging from 
the decisions rendered by the courts in the past, and the ruling 
set down by Hanover in his work, entitled “ Law of Horses.” 
After considering that overreaching, when caused by improper 
management, is not an unsoundness, he says on page 88,“ but when 
overreaching or clicking is caused by his body being too short for 
his legs, or, a3 some express it, his legs being too long for his body, 
the danger is much greater than in the former case; for in this 
, latter he is much more liable to tread on the heel of the forefoot, 
and thus thl-ow himself down, or to tear off the fore foot shoe, 
in this instance also running a great risk of falling, such clicking 
stamps a horse as unsound .” Again, on page 89, referring to 
pigeon-toed horses, he says “ should the peculiarity impede them 
in their labor, they are unsound 
These are purely cases of bad external form, and have noth¬ 
ing to do with the animal's state of health, however disastrous 
they may be to his usefulness, unless these bad conformations are 
the effects of disease, or have given rise to wounds, in which 
case they come under the general rule governing soundness. It 
would be just as reasonable to consider a horse with a large head, 
heavy neck and shoulders, and comparatively light hind quarters, 
as unsound, from the fact that such an animal would have the 
centre of gravity thrown so far forward, as to be liable to stum¬ 
ble, and injure himself or rider. 
Again, we must discriminate as to the use a horse is to be put 
to when we regard his soundness. On page 59, Hanover says of 
saddle-backed horses, “When the back is so low as to disenable 
the horse to carry proper weight, though he may be a good har¬ 
ness horse, he is as a saddle-horse, unsound ,” and on the same 
page, of roach-lacked horses, he says, “When the back is weak¬ 
ened, or the horse is thereby impeded in his work, he is unsound 
When a horse is brought to us for examination for unsound¬ 
ness, it matters not to us what use he is to be put to. A buyer 
has his own opinions regarding form, and usually depends upon 
them. If lie makes an error, he should stand the consequences, 
unless he has received a special warranty from the seller that the 
horse was suitable for such and such a service. 
