LEGS OF THE HORSE, THEIR ACCIDENTS AND DISEASES. 347 



What to do. — Make frequent applications of cold water, or cooling 

 lotion, No. 12; and after a couple of da3^s apply liniment, No. 11, well 

 rubbed in, twice a day, and bandage tightly over it, till well blistered. 

 Then omit the liniment but continue the bandage, vnth grease applied to 

 the skin, giving the puffs all the direct pressure possible. Pieces of cork 

 laid over the puffs, and bandaging over them is very effectual. 



When the skin is sufficiently healed, repeat the liniment. Continue 

 this treatment for three or four weeks, and then give the horse a run at 

 grass or in a straw yard. This will be effectual if persevered with ; l)ut 

 as soon as the horse is put to work again, either road or heavy draft, the 

 windgalls will return. 



Vin. Shoulder Lameness and Sweeny, 



Shoulder lameness is common. Sweeny is rare, but it is often imag- 

 ined and severely treated for, when the cause of lameness is very remote. 

 Sweeny is wasting of the muscles of the shoulder blade, leaving the spine 

 on the blade exposed the whole length, with hollows on each side that you 

 could nearly lay your arm in. 



Causes. — Shoulder lameness is usually caused by a sprain ; it may be 

 of the ligaments of the joint or of the muscles around the joint. Sprain 

 of the latter is most common. 



The sprain may be produced by slipping, falling, stepping on the heel 

 of the fore shoe with the toe of the hind .shoe, especially in the mud or 

 snow, or catching the hod under a 2'ootor railroad track. Sweeny is usually 

 caused l)y the shoulder being badly bruised by the collar in hauling 

 heavy loads, or plowing, or by the horse falling and bruising the shoul- 

 der. 



How to know it. — Lameness is a characteristic symptom ; the shoulder 

 and leg are carried forward all of a piece ; no knee action ; the shoulder 

 carried forward and the leg swung ; at the time the leg is ])cing taken 

 forward the head is nodded down at the start and suddenly jerked up 

 toward the finish of the action. There is an inability to raise the leg to 

 steji over an obstacle a foot high, but he will drag the leg over. Swell- 

 ing, hep.t and soreness are noticed. 



In case of sweeny the muscles are wasted as described above, and 

 much the same action of the leg will be noticed. In recent cases of 

 either, the horse will rest the leg by flexing the knee and resting the foot 

 on the toe without extending it. In mild cases, when he is able to travel, 

 rest will seem to cure him and he will go out sound, but will go lame 

 'Sfter a little, and get worse the farther he goes. 



If allowed to run on without treatment, sprain of the shoulder, espe- 

 cially if it IS ot the joint, becomes chronic, extends to the bones, affect- 

 ing the heads of them and causing permanent lameness. 



