330 CHAPTER 42. 



horse swerving from that side, i. e. not carrying his body in a straight 

 line. In some cases, however, of lameness behind, there is no perceptible 

 difference in the level of the hips in action. 



When the horse is trotted down, the examiner should at first stand 

 directly behind him. In this position he will best observe the movements 

 of the hips, and whether the body is carried in a straight line or not. 

 The want of due and equal flexion in the hocks will, however, be seen 

 more plainly by the examiner standing on the side. 



Next he must ascertain whether the seat of lameness is in the foot or 

 elsewhere. Lameness, however, in the hind feet is very rare, compared 

 with the many cases in which it occurs in the fore feet. 



Hence, if the horse be more lame on hard than on soft ground, we may 

 at once suspect that some exostosis, and probably spavin, is the cause. 

 For further details and special symptoms of such lameness the reader is 

 referred to Chapter No. 38 on Spavin. 



If, on the other hand, the horse be more lame on soft, heavy ground 

 than on hard ground, we shall probably find that sprain of some of the 

 ligaments is the cause. But whereas in the fore-leg the sprain usually 

 occurs between the knee and fetlock, in the hind leg the seat of sprain is 

 generally in the hock. Further details, as to the nature of such sprains 

 and their special symptoms, will be found below in Chapter No. 45 on 

 Sprains of the Hind Leg. 



In nine cases out of every ten, the cause of lameness in the hind leg 

 will be found in the Hock, it may be a sprain or it may be an exostosis. 

 The reason of such special liability to disease in the hock has been 

 already explained in the Chapters on the Conformation of the Hock and 

 on Spavin. 



658. Sprains of the Loins and Stringhalt. 



Sprains of the Loins and also incipient Stringhalt are sometimes not 

 noticeable, so long as the horse moves forward. In every case therefore 

 the animal examined should be " backed," and turned round sharply, 

 when any such defect will be more apparent. 



659. Rheumatism as a cause of Lameness. 



Rheumatism may affect either the fore or hind quarters. The lame- 

 ness resulting from it very much resembles that arising from violent 

 sprain of a tendon ; but it is easily distinguished from it by the lameness 

 appearing and disappearing suddenly, and by its shifting about from 

 place to place. For further details on this subject the reader is referred 

 to Chapter No. 27 on Rheumatism. 



660. Accidents and such like causes of Lameness. 



Besides lamenesses arising from specific affections of particular muscles, 

 tendons, ligaments, joints, bones, etc., there are very many cases which 

 arise from purely accidental causes, such as blows, fractures, wounds, and 

 sores. Thus a horse may be lame from a blow on the- outside of the leg, 



