40 EXAMINA TION OF HORSES 



reticular tissue, which immediately covers the sheath of 

 the extensor tendons. To the latter they are connected 

 firmly, to the skin but loosely. The consistence of their 

 contents varies very much, but they seldom communicate 

 with the articular synovial cavity. If nothing else, they 

 are unsightly, being sometimes as large as cricket-balls, 

 or larger. A horse bought with such a tumour would 

 have to be taken for better for worse, because, if an un- 

 soundness, they are unmistakably apparent. Sometimes 

 you will see more than one on the same animal, just as 

 you will frequently see several enlarged burss on the 

 same animal. These ganglions impede mobility or not, 

 according to their size and position. 



You must remember we are examining the front part 

 of the fore leg, and having finished the knee pass our 

 hand over the front part of the cannon bone down to the 

 front of the fetlock joint. The bone all this way is nearly 

 subcutaneous, the tendon of the extensor of the foot only 

 passing obliquely in front of it. Practically, it is subcu- 

 taneous, so that here we have only the skin, the front of 

 the cannon bone, and the tendon, just mentioned, to 

 examine \ and I might also have said that practically 

 we can pass over this part without a thought, as we seldom 

 find it affected in any way. 



The front part of the pastern joint comes next. This 

 and the pasterns are so intimately connected with, and 

 influenced by, the foot, that I shall here make a wide 

 digression, and describe all the parts beneath the fetlock 

 joint together. 



