DOMESTIC ANIMALS. G7 



plied. A shoe with very liigh heel calks must not be 

 omitted. 



RINGBONE. 



WE shall consider an inflammation of the upper or low- 

 er pastern bones as ringbone, (see P. B. & R. D. in skele- 

 ton on page l),or that frequent result of such inflamma- 

 tion, the formation of bony tumors on those bones. It 

 is known as upper ringbone when the upper pastern 

 bone is affected, and lower ringbone when the lower or 

 short pastern bone is the seat of the disease. We not 

 unfrequently have the joint between those two bones 

 also involved, and in many instancies the two bones be- 

 come firmly united together (anclylosed ) to form one 

 bone. 



Causes. Inheritance is certainly one of the most com- 

 mon causes. Williams says : " I advise breeders of horses 

 never to breed from a sire or dam having ringbones, un- 

 less their origin can be readily traced to some accident- 

 al cause." Age is an important consideration, as it usual- 

 ly occurs in young horses that are very early put to hard 

 work. The shape of the limbs also has an important 

 bearing on the frequency of the disease, horses with 

 very upright pasterns being especially liable to it. This 

 is what we might expect, for concussion to the bones 

 will be much more severe in upright limbs than when 

 they are more obliquely placed. Concussion and strain- 

 ing, and sometimes external blows are the active causes 

 of this disease. 



Symptoms. The horse attempts to give the leg an ob- 

 lique or slanting position, and therefore travels on his 



