252 THE HORSE. 



RUPTURE OF THE SUSPENSORY LIGAMENT. 



The suspensory ligament is sometimes ruptured by extraoi dinary exer- 

 tion. The sessamoids are then let down, and the fetlock almost touches 

 the ground. This is generally mistaken for rupture of the flexor tendon; 

 but one circumstance will sufficiently demonstrate that it is the suspensory 

 ligament which is concerned, viz: that the horse is able to bend his foot. 

 Rupture of this ligament is a bad, ai-,d almost desperate case. The horse 

 is frequently lame for life, and never becomes perfectly sound. Keeping 

 him altogether quiet, bandaging the leg, and putting on a high-heeled shoe, 

 will atford the most probable means of relief. 



THE FETLOCK. 



The fetlock-joint is a very complicated one, and from the stress which is 

 laid on it, and its being the principal seat of motion below the knee, it is 

 particularly subject to injury. THere are not many cases of sprain of the 

 back-sinew which are not accompanied by inflammation of the ligaments of 

 this joint; and many supposed cases of sprain higher up, are simple afTec- 

 tions of the fetlock. It requires a great deal of care, and some considerable 

 experience, to distinguish the one from the other. The heat about the part, 

 and the point at which the horse least endures the pressure of the finger, 

 will be the principal guides in searching out its locality. An affection of 

 the fetlock-joint demands blistering more promptly and severely than one 

 of the sheaths of the tendons. 



GROGGINESS. 



The peculiar knuckling over of the fetlock-joint, and tottering of the whole 

 of the fore-leg, known by the name of Grogginess, and which is so often 

 seen in old and over-worked horses, is seldom an affection of either the 

 fetlock or the pastern-joints simply, although these have their full share in 

 the mischief that has been produced by tasking the poor animal beyond 

 his strength. Sometimes it is difficult to fix on any particular joint ; at 

 others, it seems to be traced to a joint deep in the foot, where the flexor 

 tendon runs over the navicular-bone. It seems oftenest to be a want of 

 power in the ligaments of the joints generally, produced by frequent and 

 severe sprains, or by ill-judged and cruel exertion; and, in the majority of 

 cases, admits of no remedy; especially as dissection often discovers ulcera- 

 tion within the joints, and of the membrane which lines the cartilage, and 

 even of the cartilage itself, which it was impossible to reach or remove. 



CUTTING. 



The inside of the fetlock is often bruised by the shoe or the hoof of th> 

 opposite foot. Many expedients have been tried to remove this; the inside 

 heel lias been raised and lowered, and the outside raised and lowered; and 

 sometimes one operation has succeeded, and sometimes the contrary; and 

 there was no point so involved in obscurity, or so destitute of principles to 

 guide the practitioner. The most successful remedy, and that which in the 

 great majority of cases supersedes all others, is to put on a shoe of even 

 thickness from heel to toe; to let the bearing be perfectly level; and then 

 to drive but one nail, and that near the toe, in the inside of tl e shoe, which 



