8 March, 1907.] 



Soundness in Horses. 



155 



Ac lion. 



Stand directly in front, facing the 

 horse's head, placing the groom on the 

 near side, and standing the horse fair 

 and square, with equal distribution of 

 weight on all four limbs. The horse 

 should be kept in this attitude till the 

 manual examination is comiileted. 



Object. 



To observe the bi-lateral symmetry of 

 all parts in view — ears, eyes, face, nos- 

 trils, jaws, chest, shoulders, forearms, 

 knees, cannons, fetlocks, pasterns, and 

 feet; and to delect paralysis of ears — 

 eyelids, nostrils, lips, or facial muscles, 

 nasal disease, wasting of shoulder 

 muscles, broken knees, splints, enlarged 

 fetlocks, ringbone, sidebone and sand- 

 crack. 



Place the groom in front, with a rein 

 in each hand. Step to near side of 

 head, and stand sideways, facing the 

 head. Stroke the nostril and eyelids to 

 establish the horse's confidence ; open the 

 lips with both hands, and examine the 

 teeth, lips and gums. Use the left 

 hand for examining forelock, forehead, 

 face, nose and nostril, lifting the flap 

 of the left nostril with the thumb. Use 

 the rieht hand for examining poll, ear, 

 choke, jaw, jowl and curb, and for lift- 

 inor the near eyelid. 



To ascertain age and sex (canine 

 teeth), to examine tongue and to detect 

 presence of wolf teeth, lampas, ulceration 

 of mouth, nasal disease, nasal catarrh 

 and ulceration, poll evil, ear fistula, en- 

 larged jjarotid duct, presence of bot-fly 

 eggs on jowl, bit and curb abrasions, 

 and condition of conjunctiva of the eye. 



(N.B. — If there is champing of the 

 teeth or dribbling of saliva or an undue 

 amount of saliva in the mouth, a special 

 examination of the molar teeth should be 

 made to detect jaggedness, decay, or 

 fracture of the teeth.) 



Step laterally to near side of neck and 

 examine it, using the right hand. With 

 the left hand examine the windpipe, and 

 with the fingers press into the jugular 

 gutter and raise the jugular vein. 



To detect injuries and to see that the 

 jugular vein is not occluded as a result 

 of "bleeding," which is usually prac- 

 tised on on the off side "or the side on 

 which the mane lies. 



Step opposite to the near fore limb, 

 still facing sideways, and examine the 

 withers and shoulder, using the right 

 hand. 



To detect fistulous withers, collar 

 galls, sore shoulders, wasted shoulder, 

 shoulder tumors and enlargement of 

 shoidder joint. 



Turn half round, facing towards the 

 horse's head, and with the palm, thumb, 

 and fingers of the right hand examine 

 the breast and front of the near limb, 

 passing the hand 'iteadily and deftly 

 down the front of the .shoulder joint, 

 the forearm, knee, cannon, fetlock, pas- 

 tern, coronet, and hoof. The examiner 

 should not more than slightly bend his 

 knees while stooping for this operation. 

 Squatting down with the knees and hips 

 bent is unsightly and dangerous. 



To detect rail raps, bursal enlarge- 

 ments, broken knees, splints, sore shins, 

 enlarged fetlocks, ringbone, quittor- 

 sandcrack, false quarter and laminilis. 



Turn full rountl, facing the horse"., 

 hind quarters, and ^\illi the left hand 

 examine the posterior aspect of the limb 

 from the elbow to the foot. 



To detect capped elbow, sprained 

 muscles, thoroughpin of the knee, mal- 

 lenders, speedy cut, sprain of the check 

 ligament, fle.xor tendons or superior 

 suspensory ligament, bowed tendons, 

 splints, scars from unnerving, windgalls, 

 sesamoiditis, brushing, sprain of the in- 

 ferior suspensory ligament, cracked 

 heels, sidebone, bruised coronet and 

 quittor. 



