192 Common Diseases of the Horse 



seem to make any difference. There is a confined action of 

 the limb from the knee downwards, and he will appear to take 

 a short step with very little elevation of the leg. If the splint 

 is at the back of the limb, the lameness is only slight, and if 

 work is continued he will tend to go over afe the knee and rest 

 the leg in the stable to ease the tendon or ligament. 



The detection of splint is sometimes easy and sometimes 

 difficult, but to make a thorough examination, the hand should 

 be passed down the limb with the middle finger on the edge 

 of the inner splint bone and the thumb on the edge of the 

 outer splint bone. It should be done when the horse is standing 

 naturally with the opposite fore leg held up. This will cause the 

 tendons to become tense, and any unevenness on the bone will 

 be more apparent. The suspected limb should then be held 

 up with the knee of the horse placed upon the bent leg of the 

 observer and the thumb of either hand run down the whole 

 length of the cannon bone as far behind it as possible. If the 

 horse is sound, nothing in the shape of an obstruction should be 

 encountered. 



It has previously been stated that splints situated on the front 

 of the large cannon bone very rarely cause unsoundness, and need 

 not be taken into serious consideration except when it is so 

 prominent that it is likely to be bruised by the other limb. 



Treatment. — Unless lameness is caused, it is much wiser not 

 to interfere with a splint in any way, and any attempt to do so 

 will probably result in the would-be buyer having his suspicions 

 aroused by the blemish arising from the treatment. 



When lameness is caused, however, it should be dealt with 

 immediately. Cold-water applications should be used for three 

 or four days, and if the deposit is small and situated on the 

 large bone, a little red blister about the size of a hazel nut 

 should be rubbed in for a few minutes every third night for 

 ten days or so, the horse being put in a box with a cradle on, 

 or his head tied up. It should be observed that in all cases of 

 firing and blistering, the parts operated upon must be protected 

 from the animal's teeth, by its head being made fast as above 

 directed until the irritation has subsided. This will generally 

 have to be done for from three days to a week, according to 

 the severity of the operation. 



If the splint is situated between the large and small bones, 

 it is usually advisable to have it punctured with a needle firing 

 iron and afterwards apply the red blister. This course, although 

 more severe, will save a lot of time and trouble, and it is more 



