Journal of Agriculture. [8 April, 1907 



turned he will appear to favour the off fore limb as if he were lame on 

 it. Arm\- and police and riding school horses, from being exercised in a 

 circle, acquire a habit of throwing more weight on the " inside ' ' limb and 

 consequently appear, even for a time when trotted straight, to be lame 

 on the "outside" limb. These peculiarities or habits, by which the 

 inexperienced are apt to be deceived, are called " bridle lamenesses." The 

 often-observed " three-cornered walk "" of lazy young horses when going 

 down hill is merely awkwardness of action; the animal seems to slide 

 along with the body swaying to one side as if he wanted to get down the 

 hill hind-quarters first, but a touch of the whip or spur will arouse him 

 sufficiently to prove that it is not lame action, but only slovenly habit. 



Reflex Lameness. 



Sometimes the cause of lameness is not in the limb or part in which 

 the lameness is manifested, but in an organ or part more or less remote, 

 as is seen in lameness of the off shoulder from liver disease, in which 

 case there is always an associated yellowness or jaundice of the lining 

 of the nostrils and eyelids. In some diseases of the brain and spinal 

 cord and of the heart and arteries there is lameness from what is termed 

 " reflex pain," that is. pain felt in the limb but transmitted by reflex 

 nervous action from the seat of disease. Another instance is lameness 

 of the near hind limb from disease or enlargement of the spleen, in which 

 case the advancement of the limb, bv forward pressure on the flank and 

 abdomen, causes pressure on, the aft'ected spleen (or other abdominal organ, 

 as the case may be), and consequent nain and halting action, the limb- 

 being " stopped short " in the act of advancement. 



DETECTION OF LAMENESS. 



Lameness may be manifested when at rest as well as when in motion. 

 Indeed, some forms of lameness are apparent in some stages only when 

 the animal is at rest, the merest movement being sufficient to do away 

 with all signs of it. It is consequently always advisable to .see the horse 

 in the stable before commencing the examination proper. 



Examination when at Rest. 



It is important to observe the position in which the limb is placed when 

 standing, for oftentimes the attitude is a valuable indication of the seat 

 of lameness and in some cases actuallv diagnostic {i.e., whereby it may 

 be definitely determined or ascertained). The lame limb is usually held 

 more loosely, from a desire to avoid pain ; less weight is thrown upon it, 

 and when tapped imexpectedly from behind the joints will slacken uer- 

 ceptiblv. In the great majority of cases the pastern of the lame limb 

 will be more upright and that of the sound limb will be more oblique 

 than natural, on account of the correspondingly increased weight to be 

 borne. 



Lameness in Front. — In fore lameness, when a horse "points" — 

 that is, stands with the lame limb in advance of the sound one with the 

 toe re.sting on the ground and the heel slightly raised — it generally indi- 

 cates that the seat of lameness is below the fetlock ; but if he places it in 

 a line with the sound limb, ox behind it, the disease can be relied on as 



