CUTTING. 349 



not accompanied by inflammation of the ligaments of this joint ; and numerous 

 supposed cases of sprain higher up are simple affections of the fetlock. It 

 requires a great deal of care, and some experience, to distinguish the one from 

 the other. The heat about the part, and the point at which the horse least 

 endures the pressure of the finger, will be the principal guides. Occasionally by 

 the application of cooling lotions, the inflammation may be subdued, but, at 

 other times, the horse suffers dreadfully, and is unable to stand. A serious 

 affection of the fetlock -joint demands treatment more prompt and severe than 

 that of the sheaths of the tendons. 



GROGGINESS. 



The peculiar knuckling of the fetlock-joint, and the tottering of the whole of 

 the fore -leg, known by the name of yrogginess, and which is so often seen in old 

 and over- worked horses, is seldom an affection of either the fetlock or the 

 pastern-joints simply. Indeed it is difficult to fix on any particular joint, unless 

 it is that which is deep in the foot, and where the flexor tendon runs over the 

 navicular bone. It seems oftenest to be a want of power in the ligaments of 

 the joints generally, produced by frequent and severe sprains, or by ill-judged 

 and cruel exertion. Professor Stewart very truly says, that " it is common 

 among all kinds of fast workers, and long journeys at a fast pace will make 

 almost any horse groggy. Bad shoeing and want of stable care may help to 

 increase, but never can alone produce grogginess. It is one of the evils of 

 excessive work. " * In the majority of cases it admits of no remedy. 



CUTTING. 



The inside of the fetlock is often bruised by the shoe or the hoof of the 

 opposite foot. Many expedients used to be tried to remove this ; the inside heel 

 has been raised and lowered, and the outside raised and lowered ; and some- 

 times one operation has succeeded, and sometimes the contrary ; and there was 

 no point so involved in obscurity, or so destitute of principles to guide the prac- 

 titioner. The most successful remedy, and that which in the great majority of 

 cases supersedes all others, is Mr. Turner's shoe, of equal thickness from heel 

 to toe, and having but one nail, and that near the toe on the inside of the shoe ; 

 care being taken that the shoe shall not extend beyond the edge of the crust, 

 and that the crust shall be rasped a little at the quarters. 



There are some defects, however, in the natural form of the horse, which are 

 the causes of cutting, and which no contrivance will remedy ; as when the legs 

 are placed too near to each other, or when the feet are turned inward or outward. 

 A horse with these defects should be carefully examined at the inside of the 

 fetlock, and if there are any sore or callous places from cutting, there will be 

 sufficient reason for rejecting the animal. Some horses will cut only when they 

 are fatigued or lame, and old ; many colts will cut before they arrive at their 

 full strength. 



A consideration of the pasterns will throw more light upon this and other 

 diseases of the extremities. 



The upper pastern bone (6, p. 345, and a in the first figure, and b in the second 

 in the following cuts) receives the lower pulley-like head of the shank-bone, and 

 forms a hinge-joint admitting only of bending and extension, but not of side 

 motion ; it likewise articulates with the sessamoid-bones. Its lower head has 

 two rounded protuberances, which are received into corresponding depressions 

 in the lower pastern. On either side, above the pastern-joint, are roughened 

 projections for the attachment of very strong ligaments, both the capsular 

 ligaments, and many cross ligaments, which render the joint between the two 

 pasterns sufficiently secure. 



* Stewart's Stable Economy, p. 385. 



