Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1881-08-18
Interfering, Over Reaching, STUN.
bling, Etc.

EL- 49,.
These understandable and objectiona
BILE imperfections scent not well under.
stood BY authors or horsemen. Greai
efforts have been made TO remedy these
evils by shooting, etc, Much difference
OF opinion still exists as to the proper
method of shoeing, in consequence OF
none being effectual. If these urnat.
ural movements are a serious damage
to the horse, we should, By this time,
be able TO know to what extent they
are or can be remedied. We should in
quire for the cause. whetherftbe a hab-
il, oareiessness or deformity. Through
n long series of observations and uni-
form conclusions. l would submit the
following: The cause of most of these
unnatural movements may be account
ed for in the anatomical structure or
proportions of the horse affected. The
horse that is the most perfect, natural
and easy mover, has the most perfect
anatomical structure. When extraor-
binary, sudden, fast or slow movements
are manifest, il depends partly on ana
tomical proportions. Where the spinal
column is too short for the length of his
legs, the horse oYer-reaches in proper
ton. II too long, the hind feet fall
propOrtionally short OF the others. II
the metatarsaI bone be too short for
the tibia, he is a high stopper; if the
reverse, he drags, the toe trips the
ground, or stumbles behind. If the
femur be too coneaYe on the inside, he
carries his logs close, or interferes; if
straight he straddles, or travels wide;
iftoo long. he stands with his hind feet
too much under the body; II too short,
the reverse. II all the bones of the
hind logs are proper, some Of those
proportions may be lost or wanting for
ward. 1.-THE humerus be short. he cannot
reach forward; il long, he throws too
much forward. IL the radius be too
short for the m~etacarpal, he trips aud
stumbles; ii too long, he steps high and
throws IL the pastern be too short, the
foot has but little play; Is too long, his
foot IS said 10 flop. II the radius con
cave, he interferes;it convex. he throws
the foot outward. IL the pubs and fe-
mur are short, and the humerus is
long, it makes the horse look gaunt,
long ON the belly, and looks taller and
lighter than he is. When the reverse
is apparent, You see = long back, with
the low and heavy appearance. Where
the shafts of the dorsal vertebre pro-
iect long or high. he shows q short back
and sunken cervical y~ertebr9, conse-
quently low neck and head. Where
the launches hang straight, it raises
the caudril vertebre, and he is said to
carry u high tail, but If too slanting, a
low tail is the result If the seapula is
too long, the sternrm looks sunken; if
too short. he looks full breasted. If
the nasal bones be long. the nostrils are
small; if shogt. large. III the frontal
bone is coacaye, he appears narrow be-
tween the eyes; If convex. wide. No
machinery works we'll. unless attach
ments are perfect; il top loose, it jars;
baek-lash causes friction. and conflicts
with steady and easy motion; il too
taut, it runs hard and strains on all
parts. This is equally true of the horse.
II his anatomical attachments are too
taut, he labors hard in travelling, drags,
trips, steps short, stumbles, and may in
t%erfere; If % loose, he jars. trots high
and hard, drags the foot, throws out
ward, reaches long, the foot falls loose
and heavy; it is raised with q drag, and
tremulous while suspended, and often
o~ver-reaehes and interferes.-W Pierce,
Y. s., B MichigGn FdgD1er.g