CHAPTER XII. 



THE FORE LEGS. 



We arrive now ax those parts of the frame which are most 

 essentially connected with the action and value of the horse, and 

 oftenest, and most annoyingly, the subjects of disease. 



SPRAIN OF THE SHOULDER. 



The muscles of the shoulder-blade are occasionally injured by 

 some severe shock. This is effected oftener by a slip or side-fall, 

 than by fair, although violent exertion. It is of considerable 

 importance to be able to distinguish this shoulder-lameness from 

 injuries of other parts of the fore extremity. There is not much 

 tenderness, or heat, or swelling. If, on standing before the horse, 

 and looking at the si^e of the two shoulders, or rather their points, 

 one should appear evidently larger than the other, this must not 

 be considered as indicative of sprain of the muscles of the shoul- 

 der. It probably arises from bruise of the point of the shoulder, 

 which a slight examination will determine. 



In sprain of the shoulder the horse evidently suffers extreme 

 pain while moving, and, the muscle underneath being inflamed 

 and tender, he will extend it as little as possible. He ivill drag 

 his toe along the ground. It is in the lifting of the foot that the 

 shoulder is principally moved. If the foot is lifted high, let the 

 horse be ever so lame, the shoulder is little, if at all affected. 



In shoulder-lameness, the toe alone rests on the ground. The 

 circumstance which most of all characterises this affection is, that 

 when the' foot is lifted and then brought considerably forward 

 the horse will express very great pain, which he will not do if 

 the lameness is in the foot or the leg. 



In sprain of the internal muscles of the shoulder, few local 

 measures can be adopted. The horse should be bled from the 

 vein on the inside of the arm (the plate vein), because the blood 

 is then abstracted more immediately from the inflamed part. A 

 dose of physic should be given, and fomentations applied, and 

 principally on the inside of the arm, close to the chest, and the 

 horse should be kept as quiet as possible. The injury is too 



