A horse said to be chest-foundered, is almost invariably contracted in the breast between the points of the shoulders; becoming narrower there, as if there was a wasting of those particular parts. If you put him into a trot, he moves his legs one before the other with great difficulty, as if they were internally connected, and prevented farther extension by two latent links of a chain. When pressed to a gallop, the case becomes instantly decisive; he labours to get his legs from under him without success; a general constriction pervades the whole of his fore parts; and his action may, with much more propriety, be termed jumping than galloping.

Although no one author has given a proof he ever bestowed an explanatory thought, or condescended to transmit a single line, upon the absolute cause of this very common defect, yet it by no means seems sufficiently involved in ambiguity, to render fair conjecture, or professional opinion, a matter of the least difficulty. As the disorder is invariably fixed upon those subjects who have done the most expeditious and constant work, without having been ever known to affect those who have done little or none; so it is natural to conclude, the intercostal and subclavian muscles must have sustained injury, from the incessant vibrative concussions occasioned by the almost eternal contraction and expansion of those parts, in such labour as horses are put to who become subject to the misfortune, which partakes much more of oppressed nature than of disease. It should seem, by the great number of horses (decidedly chest-foundered) who experience evident relief, and go with much less pain and difficulty, when they have got warm, that the muscular parts acquire rigidity when in a state of inaction, but expand, and gradually throw off the stricture, so soon as the circulation is encreased by action, and perspiration produced; both which subsiding, the previous stiffness returns. Let, however, what will be the cause, (and upon which the best opinions may vary,) instances are very rarely or ever known of perfect cure, or complete eradication. Long rest, by either a summer or winter's run, will always be found productive of relief, and sometimes hold forth a descriptive promise of permanence, which very mild and gentle work may continue; but hard riding, long journies, or severe labour, will always produce a relapse.

CHILDERS

—was distinguished from four others in succession of the same name, by the appellation of the Devonshire, or Flying Childers, having been the fleetest horse ever bred or trained in this kingdom, and said to have ran a mile in a minute. The fact, however, was not so; he went the fourth of a mile at the rate of a mile in a minute, and beat every horse of his time with ease. He was bred by Mr. Childers; was foaled in 1715; and got by Darley's Arabian, dam (Betty Leedes) by Careless. He covered as a stallion, and was sire of Firetail, Blacklegs, Second, Plaistow, Snip, and Commoner; all good runners, particularly the first three; also Blaze, Winall, and Spanking Roger; horses of some note; as well as Lord W. Manners's Poppet, (an extraordinary runner at five years old,) Steady, Fleece'em, &c. He covered but very few mares, except the Duke of Devonshire's.

Bartlet's Childers was likewise bred by Mr. Childers, and was own brother to Flying Childers.

Hampton Court Childers was got by the Devonshire Childers, dam (Duchess) by the Newcastle Turk; and was likewise bred by Mr. Childers.

Smale's Childers was bred by Mr. Smale, and foaled in 1726. He was got by Bartlet's Childers; dam by the Byerley Turk.

Childers, commonly called Grey Childers, was bred by Lord Chedworth, and got by the Devonshire Childers; dam by Sir W. Wharton's Commoner.

CHOLIC

.—The disorder so called in horses, is properly divided into two kinds, and should be carefully attended to in the attack, before medicines are administered in one, which might have been more applicable in the other. One species of cholic (which is the most common) originates in a retention of confined air, from having been supplied with too much flatulent provender, or too much water, at an improper time. This disorder, in general, soon submits to warm, cordial, anodyne medicines, accompanied by friction and flank rubbing; seldom terminating in death, though always accompanied with symptoms of danger. The other is produced by hardened fæces plugging up the intestinal canal, and frequently proves fatal: the least delay is dangerous, and too much expedition cannot be used to obtain relief. In the "Gentleman's Stable Directory," they will be found distinctly described, and the mode of cure explained.