DISEASES AND TREATMENT OF THE HORSE. 211 



Treatment. — Keep the animal quiet, and if it is the season for 

 flies, cover the animal so it will not have to use its tail in trying 

 to keep them off ; if the tail is much swollen rub with vi^hite lini- 

 ment twice a day until the swelling is gone down, then leave the 

 animal quiet until the bones unite. If there is not much swelling 

 bandage moderately tight and leave the bandage on a few days at 

 a time, while the bones are uniting. 



HIP JOINT LAMENESS. 



This is a sprain of the round ligament in the hip joint. 



Causes. — The way this disease generally occurs is from a 

 horse stepping on a small, round stone, and the stone turns and 

 throws the leg forward, or from slipping on ice, or falhng in other 

 ways and striking the hip. 



Symptoms. — The horse steps short on the affected side, and 

 in trotting he goes kind of three-cornered, and every time the 

 horse raises his leg the hip raises with it, showing that he is try- 

 ing to keep the hip quiet ; he will also flinch when you press 

 around the hip joint. If the disease is allowed to run on for some 

 time there is a wasting of the muscles around the part. 



Treatment.— If it is an old standing case, and the joint is dis- 

 eased, it is incurable, but if taken in time the animal may be cured 

 by keeping him quiet and bathing the parts well with luke warm 

 water and salt twice a day; after bathing, each time, wipe dry and 

 apply the white liniment. Keep on with this treatment until you 

 get the soreness and swelling out, then blister with the fol- 

 lowing : 



Pulverized Cantharides or Spanish Fly H drams. 



Vaseline or Lard I ounce. 



Mix well and there will be enough to blister the hip three 



times, each time rub the blister in well, allow it to go for three 



days, then grease with lard ; let it go for three or four weeks, 



then blister again ; repeat the blister this way until the animal is 



over the lameness. 



SPRAIN OF THE MUSCLES OF THE HIP. 



This is more common than hip joint lameness, and is usually 

 caused in heavy horses by slipping while pulling a heavy load ; 

 or while driving light horses, you pull them up suddenly, causing 

 them to slip, and in this way they sometimes sprain the muscles 

 of the hip. 



