HORSES: THEIR POINTS AND MANAGEMENT 



any oftcner than is necessary, and be very careful not to tear 

 the wool rudely off, because any adherini^^ j^ortion of it is of 

 assistance in stopping the discharge of the liquid from the 

 joint. In fact, any adhering wool had better be left untouched. 

 Do not use any water to the wound, but you may cleanse round 

 about it. Supposing that such a wound has just been inflicted 

 and it is situated upon the knee or hock, then the horse should 

 be prevented from lying down for a few days. This can be 

 done by tying him short or placing in the slings. 



When a horse has been suffering from an open joint for any 

 length of time, the joint being stiff, swollen, and the edges 

 of the wound thick, but free from much heat, and perhaps the 

 horse unable to rise, then the best plan is to sling the animal, 

 afterwards apply a good blister to the swollen joint, for 

 which purpose cantharides, or Indian blister beetle oint- 

 ment, is as good as aught else. This ointment must be 

 rubbed well in, and you must go very close to the edges of the 

 wound. The blister acts by exciting the processes of repair, 

 and thus closes the wound, when of course the discharge ceases, 

 the swelling and irritation subsiding. The application of 

 a high heeled shoe, a mild dose of physic, and a softish sort 

 of diet, will assist matters. This treatment affords a ready 

 and simple means of curing open joints, and without this plan 

 of campaign many horses will, and have been, cast away for 

 slaughter. Veterinary aid is advisable in most cases. 



LUXATION OF PATELLA. 



This accident is commonly seen in colts and foals, also in 

 older horses. The knee cap (patella) slips away from its natural 

 articulatingsurface. Thecauses of this displacement are variable. 



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