LECTURE XLII. 

 LAMENESS. 



Definition. — Any irregularity of the gait, regardless of cause 

 or degree. 



Locating the lameness. — It is usually quite easy for any ob- 

 server to recognize that an animal is lame, provided the lameness 

 is at all decided, but there are many cases where the lameness is 

 so very slight that it is difficult for an expert to locate it or even 

 be sure that the animal is lame. 



Side. — A very common error is that of locating the lameness 

 on the wrong side. This is easily avoided if one remembers that 

 the head and weight of the body in general come down most 

 noticeably with the sound limb. For instance, a horse being 

 lame in the left front leg will drop very evidently as he lands upon 

 the right front leg. 



Gait. — Some forms of lameness are detected with great diffi- 

 culty when the animal is walking, but are easily seen when the 

 horse is trotting. It is usually conceded that the latter is the best 

 gait for diagnostic purposes, although the observer should study 

 the movements at both walk and trot if possible. The pacing 

 gait is rather confusing. 



The test. — The animal should be tried on both hard and soft 

 grounrl. If the lameness is in tlie foot the lameness is most mark- 

 ed when the animal travels on hard ground. On the contrary, 

 when a horse is lame in the shoulder he is apt to travel with 

 great difficulty in deep mud or in snow. 



General exainination. — The horse should be examined un- 

 blankcted in the stall, making him step from side to side, and 

 noting how he stands at rest. Then the horse should be taken 

 out and observed while walking and trotting, coming toward, 

 passing by and going from the observer, the latter observing care- 

 fully the movements of the entire body and the use of each limb. 

 It is especially important to observe the head and hips in solving 

 the first problem of locating the diseased limb. 



