HORSE— CARE AND MANAGEMENT. 



65 



do anything but harm in the early stage; 

 but after hot fomentations have relieved 

 the active mischief, by encouraging the 

 effusion of serum into the surrounding 

 cellular membrane, the former may be 

 used with advantage. When the heat 

 and other signs of active inflammation 

 have disappeared, the biniodide of mer- 

 cury ointment may be rubbed in, avoid- 

 ing the back of the joint. (See Horse, 

 Splints.) 



HORSE, Fetlock, Strain of the.— This 

 accident shows itself at once, in conse- 

 quence of the superficial nature of the 

 joint, by swelling, heat, soreness to the 

 touch, and lameness. It may be very 

 slight or very severe, but in the latter 

 case it is generally complicated by strain 

 of the back sinews, or suspensory liga- 

 ment. The treatment will be precisely 

 on the same plan as for strain of the 

 knee. When the anterior ligaments of 

 the fetlock joint are strained and in- 

 flamed, as so often happens with race 

 horses, the condition is known as " shin 

 sere." 



HORSE, Coffin Joint, Strain of the.— 

 Dissection proves that this joint is some- 

 times the seat of strain ; but it is almost 

 impossible to ascertain its existence with 

 certainty during life. The diagnosis is, 

 however, not of much consequence, as 

 the treatment will be the same, whether 

 the coffin joint, or the navicular joint is 

 the seat of the mischief. In any case, if 

 severe, bleeding from the toe should be 

 had recourse to, followed by cold appli- 

 cations around the coronet, by means of a 

 strip of flannel or felt, tied loosely round 

 the pastern, and kept constantly wet. 

 When the heat has subsided, the coronet 

 should be blistered. 



HORSE, Suspensory Ligaments, Strain 

 of the. — The suspensory ligament not be- 

 ing elastic like the back sinews (Avhich, 

 though not in themselves extensible, are 

 the prolongations of muscles which have 

 that property), is very liable to strains, 

 especially in the hunter, and to a less de- 

 gree in the race horse. The accident is 

 readily made out, for there is local swel- 

 ling and tenderness, and in the well-bred 

 horse, which is alone likely to meet a 

 strain of this kind, the leg is rarely suffi- 

 ciently gummy to prevent the finger from 

 making out the condition of the ligaments 

 and tendons. There is no giving way of 



the joints as in "break down," but on 

 the contrary the leg is flexed, and if the 

 case is a bad one, the toe only is allowed 

 to touch the ground. In ordinary cases, 

 however, there is merely slight swelling 

 of the suspensory ligament in a limited 

 spot usually near its bifurcation, or some- 

 times in one division only close above the 

 sesamoid bone to which it is attached. 

 The horse can stand readily on that leg, 

 but on being trotted he limps a good 

 deal. Sometimes, however, there is a 

 swelling of the feet without lameness, but 

 in this case the enlargement is generally 

 due to an effusion of serum into the cel- 

 lular covering of the ligament, and not to 

 an actual strain of its fibres. The treat- 

 ment will depend greatly upon the extent 

 of the mischief; if there is no great in- 

 jury done, and the enlargement is chiefly 

 from effusion of serum, rest and cold ap- 

 plications by means of bandages or other- 

 wise will in the course of two or three 

 months effect a cure. Generally, however, 

 the case will last six or eight months be- 

 fore the ligament recovers its tone, and in 

 a valuable horse no attempt should be- 

 made to work him before that time.. 

 Where the swelling is small, as it gener- 

 ally is, bandages have no power over it, 

 as the projection of the flexor tendons 

 keeps the pressure off the injured part. 

 Here, dropping the leg in a bucket of 

 water every hour will be of far more ser- 

 vice than a bandage, and the sudden 

 shock of the cold water will be doubly 

 efficacious. After all heat has disappeared 

 the biniodide of mercury may be used as 

 a blister two or three times, and then the 

 horse may either be turned out, or put 

 into a loose box for three or four months, . 

 after which walking exercise will complete " 

 the cure. 



HORSE, Back Sinews, Strain of the.— 

 In this accident the position of the leg is 

 the same as in strain of the suspensory 

 ligament, and there is no giving way of 

 the joints. The flexor tendons are en- 

 larged, hot, and tender, and there is great 

 lameness, the horse having the power^ 

 to flex the joints below the knee, but re- 

 solutely objecting to extend them, by 

 bearing what little weight is unavoidable 

 upon his toe. The case is often con- 

 founded with a "break down," but it 

 may readily be distinguished by the fact 

 that in the latter the joints give way on 



