LEGS OF THE HORSE, THEIR ACCIDENTS AND DISEASES. 303 



Xn. Osteophytes, Following Sore Shins. 



This is the name given to the bony deposits that follow sore shins. 

 There are several different kinds. The velvety, or villous resembling 

 hour frost, is usually spread all over the bone in a uniform layer, and is 

 seen ou bones of young racers, hack horses and sometimes driving 

 horses. The splintered or laminated kind grows more in excrescences and 

 splintered as in spavin. The warty or stalactite kind grows like a wart 

 with either a pedicle or stem on a narrow base, or may-be a small sur- 

 face on a large base, or a large excrescence spread on the bone over con- 

 siderable surface ; these are seen on any bone as results of bruises, etc., 

 and sometimes appear around the hock and knee joints. Many other 

 forms may be seen, like tarry matter poured over the bone hot, and hard- 

 ened while cooling, etc. 



Causes. — Hard work of any kind making the bones sore, inflammation 

 sets ni and then deposits follow as a natural result. Accidents, bruises, 

 kicks, etc., contribute their share. 



How to know it, — The bony enlargement can be seen and felt. In 

 addition to that there will, in all probability, be more or less lameness. 

 In the absence of lameness there will be a stiff, short, stilted gait ; more 

 or less knuckling of the fetlocks and going over on the knees — knee- 

 sprung. It is most often seen in hack horses, saddle and buggy horses 

 that get much work. 



What to do. — Treatment is unsatisfactory in that it requires a long 

 tmie, continuous rest and considerable attention, and after all, the horse 

 is not much improved ; but it is always best to give it a trial, especially in 

 young and valuable horses. In the early stages the same treatment pre- 

 scribed for sore shins is applicable, which see ; and in the later stages 

 repeated applications of the blister No. 10, and a long rest will help him 

 some, if it is an old, chronic case ; and if it is a recent case, it will cure. 



xm. Porcelaneous Deposit. 



Causes. — Often in bad cases of spavin and ringbone, and in many 

 other joints of the body, an ulceration of the head of the bone takes place 

 in the joint, the cartilage becomes absorbed and lets the ends of the bones 

 together, and as a result of friction, a bony deposit is made on the ends 

 coming together which gets rubbed and chafed till it is polished as smooth, 

 hard and glossy as porcelain, hence the name. 



How to know it, — By negative symptoms rather than positive. The 

 horse is always evenly lame ; the lameness does not work off with exer- 

 cise : no treatment does any good, and the true nature of the trouble can 

 only be determined by a post mortem examination. 



