7U MOUNTED INSTRUCTION 



gether; often he points the foot, flexes the leg, and knuckles at the fet- 

 lock. Swelling of the fetlock and back tendons is also frequently seen 

 and is liable to mislead us. The foot must be carefully examined, and 

 this cannot be properly done without removing the shoe. The nails 

 should be drawn separately and carefully examined. If there is no 

 escape of pus from the nail holes, or if the nails themselves are not 

 moist, we must continue our examination of the foot by carefully pinch- 

 ing or tapping it at all parts. With a little practice we can detect the 

 spot where the pain is the greatest or discover the delicate line or scar 

 left at the point of entrance of the foreign body. 



Punctured Wounds of Joints, or Open Joints: These wounds are 

 more or less frequent. They are always serious, and often result in 

 anchylosis of the joint or the death of the animal. The joints mostly 

 punctured are the hock, fetlock or knee, though other joints may, of 

 course, suffer this injury. Probably the most common injury is the 

 stab from the fork, but it may result from the kick of another horse 

 that is newly shod or in many other ways. 



Gunshot Wounds: Vary in size and character, depending on the size 

 and quality of the projectile and also the tissue injured. Oftentimes 

 a ball may be so lodged that it can not be removed, and it then may 

 become encysted and remain for years without giving rise to any incon- 

 venience. It is often difficult to locate a bullet, as it is very readily 

 deflected by resistance met with after entering the body. The enter- 

 ing wound is the size of the projectile, the edges being inverted and 

 often scorched. The wound produced in case of the bullet's exit is 

 larger than the projectile, the edges are turned out and ragged. A 

 bullet heated by the friction of the barrel or air often softens and be- 

 comes flattened on striking a bone or other tissue. Modern bullets that 

 have an outer steel layer may pass through bone without splintering 

 it. Lead bullets may split, producing two exit wounds. Spent bullets 

 may only produce a bruise. Should bones be struck by a ball they are 

 sometimes shattered and splintered to such an extent as to warrant us 

 in having the animal destroyed. A gunshot wound, when irreparable 

 injury has not been done, is to be treated the same as punctured 

 wounds, i. e., stop the hemorrhage, remove the foreign body if possible 

 and apply hot fomentations or poultices to the wound until suppuration 

 is fairly established. Antiseptic and disinfectant injections may then 

 be used. Should pus accumulate in the tissue, openings must be made 

 for its escape. 



Harness Galls: Are wounds of the skin frequently caused by ill- 

 fitting harness or saddles. When a horse has been resting from steady 

 work for some time, particularly after being idle in a stable on a scanty 

 allowance of grain, as in winter, he M'ill be soft and tender and will 

 sweat easily when put to work again. In this condition he is liable to 

 sweat and chafe under the harness, especially if it is hard and poorly 

 fitted. This chafing is likely to cause abrasions of the skin, and thus 

 pave the way for an abscess or for a chronic blemish, unless attended to 

 very promptly. Besides causing the animal considerable pain, chafing, 



