874 THE FORE LEGS. 



will occa* ionally be subject to injury, and, principally to strains. Mr. W. C. Spooner* 

 gives a very satisfactory account of this. He says that "hungers and race-horsesi 

 are considerably more liable to lesions of the suspensory ligament than any other 

 description of horses. The character of these strains is very rarely so acute as that 

 of the tendons. They generally come on gradually with little inflammation or lame- 

 ness. Occasionally the injury is sudden and severe, but then it is rarely confined to 

 these ligaments, for although they may be principally involved, the neighbouring 

 parts are generally implicated. The usual symptoms are a slight enlargement and 

 lameness at first, or there maj be the former without the latter. The enlargement is 

 commonly confined to the ligament below the place of bifurcation, and sometimes one 

 division alone is affected. With the exception of strains of the flexor sinews, this 

 unfits more animals for racing than any other cause indeed horses are rarely or never 

 fit for the turf after the suspensory ligaments have been diseased," or for hunting. 



The case being evidently a lesion of the suspensory ligament, nothing short of firing 

 will be of service. 



The length and obliquity of the pastern vary in the different breeds of horses, and 

 on it depends the elastic action of the animal, and the easiness of his paces. The 

 pastern must be long in proportion to its obliquity, or the fetlock will be too close to 

 the ground, and, in rapid action, come violently into contact with it. It is necessary 

 that the fetlock should be elevated a certain distance from the ground, and this may 

 be effected either by a short and upright, or a long and slanting pastern. In propor- 

 tion as the pastern is oblique or slanting, two consequences will follow, less weight 

 will be thrown on the pastern, and more on the sessamoid, and, in that proportion, 

 concussion will be prevented. 



Every advantage, however, has, to a certain extent, its corresponding disadvantage. 

 In proportion to the obliquity or slanting of the pastern, will be the stress on the fet- 

 lock-joint, and, therefore, the liability of that joint to injury and strain; and also the 

 liability to sprain of the back-sinews from the increased action and play of the flexor 

 tendons ; and likewise to injuries of the pattern-joints, for the ligaments will be weak 

 in proportion to their length. The long and slanting pastern is advantageous in the 

 race-horse, from the springiness of action and greater extent of stride by which it is 

 accompanied. A less degree of it is given in the hunter who is to unite continuance 

 of exertion with ease of pace. For the hackney there should be sufficient obliquity to 

 give pleasantness of going, but not enough to endanger continuance and strength. 

 Experience among horses will alone point out the most advantageous direction of the 

 pastern, for the purpose required ; but the slightest observation will show the necessity 

 of considerable variety in the structure of this part. Let the reader imagine the 

 heavy dray-horse with his short and upright pasterns contending in the race ; or the 

 race-horse with his long and weak pasterns, endeavouring to dig his toe into the 

 ground in order to move some heavy weight. The concussion which attends the com- 

 mon action of the cart-horse is little, because his movements are slow, and therefore 

 the upright and strong pastern is given to him, which he can force into the ground 

 and on which he can throw the whole of his immense weight. The oblique pastern 

 is given to the race-horse because that alone is compatible with extent of stride and 

 great speed. Except a horse for general purposes, and particularly for riding, is very 

 hardly used, a little too much obliquity is a far less evil than a pastern too upnght. 

 While the jolting of the upright pastern is an insufferable nuisance to the rider, it is 

 Hijuriou? and most unsafe to the horse, and produces many diseases in the feet and 

 legs, and particularly ringbone, ossification of the cartilages, and contracted feet. 



Strains of the pastern-joint are not so frequent, nor so severe as those of the fetlock 

 but they are not uncommon, especially in horses with pasterns naturally too upright. 

 By careless observers they are not so readily detected as in the fetlock-joint, for f hf 

 increased heat round the pastern-joint may be overlooked. 



The treatment will not differ materially from that of the fetlock-joint. 



LESIONS OF THE SUSPENSORY LIGAMENT. 



Hie suspensory ligament is sometimes strained and^ even ruptured by extraordinary 

 hxertir^i. The sessamoids, which in their natural state are suspended by it, and from 

 which function its name is der'.ved, are in the latter case let down, and the fetlock 



* Mr. W C. Si: >oner i>: .he Foot and Leg of the horse. 



