DISEASES OF THE HORSE 71 



tlie less liable lie is to throw splints, because practice 

 teaches the animal to regulate his movements so as to 

 more or less diminish the disagreeable if not actually 

 painful effect of concussion. 



Symptoms: A splint is detected by grasping the 

 horse 's leg with the fingers upon one side and the thumb 

 upon the other, and tracing the inner and outer splint 

 bones from their heads downward to their tapering ex- 

 tremities. Any actual enlargement will at once arrest 

 the hand ; any rising or irregularity will create suspicion 

 and lead to close examination. Horses, especially young 

 ones which have lately been put to work, not infrequently 

 develop splints before any swelling appears. For this 

 reason, in examining a case of obscure lameness, partic- 

 ularly if the animal is young, do not fail to look for the 

 sign of splint lameness, namely : that the lameness is ab- 

 normally greater at a trot than at a walk and that the an- 

 imal usually fails to bend the knees freely and grows 

 worse with exercise. The last mentioned condition is 

 also present with corns, but an examination of the foot 

 will determine the question of their existence. In young 

 horses splints are sometimes mistaken for coffin-joint 

 lameness or navicular disease. To avoid this error, it 

 should be remembered that, when brought on by navicular 

 disease, the action of the limb improves with exercise; 

 also that horses of five years of age or less very rarely 

 suffer from coffin-joint disease. Some horses, owing to 

 unusual development of the inner splint bones of the fore 

 legs may appear to have splints, although careful ex- 

 amination may prove both limbs to be free from any bony 

 deposit. When deciding such a point, note if the two 

 inner splint bones are of the same size. Any swelling 

 perceptible in a limb recently affected with splint-lame- 

 ness is usually attended by heat and pain. 



Treatment: If there is heat present, foment with 

 hot or cold water; when heat has subsided, apply the fol- 

 lowing ointment: Red Iodide of Mercury, two drams; 



