*^48 THE HORSE. 



unimal, already sufficiently tortured, much unnecessary and useless pain, 

 and should never be resorted to by him who possesses the slightest feeling 

 of humanity. 



In examining a horse for purchase, the closest attention should be paid to 

 the appearance of these flexor tendons. If there be any thickness of cel- 

 lular substance around them, that horse has been sprained violently, or the 

 sprain has not been properly treated. This thickening will probably fetter 

 the motion of the tendon, and dispose the part to the recurrence of inflam- 

 niation and lan>eness. Such a horse, although at the time perfectly free 

 from lameness, will be regarded with suspicion, and cannot fairly be con- 

 sidered as sound. He is only patched up for a while, and will probably 

 fail at the close of the first day's hard work. 



WIND-GALLS. 



Approaching nearer to the fetlock, we occasionally find considerable 

 enlargements, oftener on the hind leg than the fore one, which are denomi- 

 nated wind-galls (e, p. 225). Between the tendons and other parts, and 

 wherever the tendons are exposed to pressure or friction, and particularly 

 about their extremities, little bags or sacs are placed, containing and suf- 

 fering to ooze slowly from them a mucous fluid. From undue pressure, 

 and that most frequently caused by violent action and straining of the 

 tendons, these little bags become injured; they take on inflammation, and 

 they grow large and liard. The tendons are mostly inserted into the 

 neighbourhood of joints, and there is most motion and pressure, and con- 

 sequently these enlarged mucous bags {bursce, mucosce) are oftenest found, 

 about the joints. There are few horses perfectly free from them. When 

 they first appear, and until the inflammation subsides, they may be accom- 

 panied by some degree of lameness ; but otherwise, except when they 

 an attain enormous size, they do not interfere with the action of the animal, 

 or cause unsoundness. The farriers used to suppose that they contained 

 wind ; hence their name, wind-galls ; and hence the practice of opening 

 them, by which dreadful inflammation has often been produced, and many 

 a valuable horse destroyed. 



A slight wind-gall will scarcely be subjected to treatment ; but if these 

 tumours are numerous and large, and seem to impede the motion of the 

 limb, they may be attacked first by bandage. The roller should be of 

 flannel, and soft pads should be placed on each of the enlargements, and 

 bound down tightly upon them. The bandage may be wetted with the lotion 

 recommended for sprain of the back-sinews. The wind-gall will often 

 diminish or disappear by this treatment, but will too frequently return when 

 the horse is again hardly worked. A blister is a more effectual remedy ; and 

 firing still more certain, if the tumours be sufficiently large and annoying 

 to justify our having recourse to measures so severe. In bad cases, the 

 cautery is the only cure, for it will not only efl^ect the immediate absorption 

 of the fluid, and the reduction of the swelling, but by contracting the skin, 

 will act as a permanent bandage, and therefore prevent the reappearance 

 of the tumour. 



THE PASTERNS. 



At the back of the shank, just below the knee, and in the space between 

 the two splint-bones, are found two extraordinary and important ligaments ; 

 extraordinary as being elastic, and important as being admirably adapted 



