Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-03-28
Cutting and Interfering.

1utliiiS ID inc Term usually applied
to horses striking their legs; but all,
horses who strike or hit their legs do
not cut but they frequently strike the
quieScent leg, whichever it NAV be. so
hard as to produce bruises, and conse-
quent Inflammation 10 a degree that is
really worse than clean light cut.
which wounds and sears the skin only.
Cutting the legs arises from malfor-
nation, faulty action, sometimes from
unequal proportions, sometimes from
Incidence; and, per contra, we have
known instances where it has arisen
from Impetuosity. Horses, weak from
illness, are very apt To cut if used be-
lore their strength is restored. 1t is
almost unnecessary to add, that tired
horses very commonly cut or strike
their legs, though they do neither
under other circumstances.
a man might purchase a young
horse, showing legs free from any
mark Whatever Of having been cut or
hit, yet find, on bringing such horse
INTO work, that he cut awfully; nor
! does 1t follow such work need be of
any peculiar severity or continuance:
for people should bear in mind that
ordinary usage is more or less severe
work TO an animal unaccustomed to
any, save what he may have under
gone III the process of breaking.
In Judging young horse, or, in
deed, any horse, the first thing is to
notice whether there is any peculiari-
ty Of form likely to be preiudicial to
him III his work, keeping in mind that
cutting is as likely to be so as any
fault he can wen possess. Stand be
fore and behind him, and mark we'll
the way his legs stand in a quiescent
| state; even by this Il tolerably certain
inference may be drawn OF what will
be their direction when in motion.
Horses that tura their toes much out
are very apt to cut; and horses with
their ankles much i'll, the same. We
have seen horses with their ankles
very close together, who did not in any
way interfere III any pace; but when
this is the case, it viii be foul.d on III
spection that their feet stand perfectly
straight; close as the Joints may be to-
gether, there is still space for the foot
to pass when thus rightly directed,
without striking the supporting ankle.
Horses with their toes pointing in
seldom cut, though we might antici-
pate they would do SO: when they do,
1t IS usually III a fast pace. They will
then. as it is termed, "cut speed"
The next thing to be attended to, as
regards cutting, is the horses action.
If he goes near the ground, SO that the
fnnt does ~ iCrln In1
the ankle of the stationary one ten to
one he will cut. Again, if his fore
legs are unduly long, they are apt to
produce "A dwelling sort of ac-
ton that will cause him to
strike the inside of the leg oboCe
the ankle. Incidence, producing a
lazy style of going, frequently causes
horses permitted to go in such a way
to cut their legs severely; this is to
be easily proved when it is the case
Get on his back; in technical phrase,
"catch hold Of his head" that is, take
up the curb-bit; clap your shins to his
sides, or, if that is not sufficient,
tickle him with whip, and make him
trot alertly at the rate of ten miles an
hour, instead of six lazily. He will
cease cutting; it produces different
style Of action and a different motion
of the (his) legs. This shows the diff
ference between mere instinct and rea-
son; the latter would teach the horse
that by going III a certain way he cut
his legs and hurt himself: he would
voluntarily alter his mode of going.
Instinct does not 60 thus far; conse-
quently, we must use our reason, and
cause him to do it. Horses with large
fiat feet, if they hit, almost invariably
hit with their shoe, and that only, and
the shoe cuts; but if, on the contrary,
they have high, upright, mule-like
feet, they frequently Int with some
part of the hoof, and Druise without
absolutely cutting.
1t is sometimes very difficult to de-
eide with what part of the hOOf or
shoe the horse strikes the standing
leg-that is, it is difficult to Judge by
the sight only; but it is accurately
aScertained by very simple and
short process. Take the horse into
some clean place-a hard dry road is
the best; smear the striking hoof and
shoe with a little white paint if the
| legs are black, brown or bay, with
black paint if any other color; cause
him to be walked Tor a quarter Of an
hour: if he has struck or even brushed
the other leg, the paint will be dis
turbed or wiped off from the precise
part he hits with, and VIII further
show iiu places where he does not
actually cut the spot ne hits, for on
it the paint rubbed off the other leg
Will be visible. If during his walk
the paint remains undisturbed, we
may fairly infer that it is not in that
pace ne hits his leg, TTOt him; if he
lit Won will see where the offending