SPRAIN OF THE SHOULDER. 107 



In this portion of the work we shall treat of the diseases 

 alone, and the anatomy of the various parts will be after- 

 wards given, with complete references to the plates illustra- 

 tive of those parts. 



SPRAIN OF THE SHOULDER. 



Many ignorant pretenders, who denominate themselves 

 Farriers, frequently speak of what they call the " shoulder- 

 lameness" without being able to state wherein this lameness 

 consists. In innumerable instances they are wrong when 

 they say or imagine that the lameness proceeds from the 

 shoulder at all. We are decidedly of opinion that lameness 

 of the shoulder is much less frequent than is supposed. 



Symptoms. — To those who have attended to the anatomy 

 of the shoulder of the horse, shoulder-lameness can be 

 recognised with considerable celerity, as well as certainty 

 The horse generally suffers great pain in moving forward 

 while under the influence of this complaint, which is indi- 

 cated by dragging his toe along the ground instead of 

 lifting the foot smartly up, which is the natural action 

 in progressive motion ; for it is this lifting of the foot which 

 produces the pain, by giving motion to the muscles of the 

 shoulder, some of which are inflamed and tender, in con- 

 sequence of the sprain. But it must be obvious to any one 

 acquainted with the anatomy of the shoulder, that the 

 pain occasioned by lifting the foot must be both short and 

 small in lameness of the shoulder, as the limb is allowed 

 to bear the weight a much shorter time than in any other 

 species of lameness. For example, in sprain of the back 

 tendons, it is only when the horse is moving forwards that 

 he suffers much pain, and this is most felt when the weight 

 rests on the leg ; consequently, there is a peculiar activity 

 in moving up the limb in shoulder-lameness the instant the 



