128 CAUSES, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT OT 



Treatment. — Remove the cause. If a kicking horse, place him where 

 he cannot injure himself, and you may have to pad the stall, and if 

 you are called, at first, to a case suddenly produced, give a good dose 

 of purgative medicine if the horse is in good condition. If there is 

 any irritation, foment, then apply cold ; and hand-rubbing tends to 

 stimulate the parts and produce absorption of the fluids ; use the ordi- 

 nary liniments and blister ; and there are exceptional cases where you 

 may insert a seaton or open. Where it is violently produced, and 

 serum is formed, you might use the aspirator, or knife, if in the bursas 

 mucosae. You will find benefit from iodine or anything that stimu- 

 lates absorption. It is difficult to remove. Do not be led into punc- 

 turing too freely, although it is sometimes very tempting. Tincture 

 of cantharides is of benefit in many cases. 



Curb is an enlargement of the back part of the hind leg, a little 

 below the hock, due to sprain or complete rupture of the calcaneo- 

 cuboid ligament, or, some say to irritation of the sheath of the tendon ; 

 but in most cases it is sprain of the ligament. 



Causes are predisposing and exciting. Certain breeds are more 

 liable than others ; also, a faulty conformation ; long os-calcis, inclin- 

 ing forward, instead of backward, gives rise to what is known as a 

 curby hock. The exciting causes are hard and fast work. It is most 

 common in fast horses. It is often produced in winter by being driven 

 in deep snow ; or, forcibly backing an animal with a heavy load. 



Syniptows. — This is easily detected by viewing from the side. It 

 generally produces lameness, but not of a permanent character, and is 

 not so serious as sprain ; the parts are hot and tender, and there is 

 enlargement ; when standing, he flexes the limb. If the horse stands 

 for a day or two, the lameness usually disappears, but returns if used, 

 while there are other injuries in which the reverse is the case. In 

 almost all cases where it is suddenly produced there has been a pre- 

 disposing tendency. Although curb is said to occur on the back of the 

 leg, a little below the hock, it varies to a slight extent. It generally 

 occurs in young animals, and is more serious than in older ones. It is 

 sometimes called soft curb, when there is a bursal enlargement with 

 it. It is likely to be associated with more or less irritation. It will 

 be a long time before such an animal will be fit to do much work, and 

 treatment has but little effect. If it is low down, the animal will 

 stand upon the toe ; will be more or less lame — sometimes extremely 

 lame. But this soon disappears in an ordinary case, but comes back 

 when put to work. 



Treatment. — It can generally be successfully treated without any 

 blemish ; treat just the same as sprain of any ligament or tendon. 

 It is well to give rest ; however, you cannot always do this ; but if 

 in a very valuable horse, give rest ; foment when there is pain ; use 

 anodyne applications, and in most cases follow by a blister, which 

 has an excellent effect in getting rid of the irritation ; cantharides 

 is perhaps preferable to mercury ; clip the hair and then rub it in 

 for ten or fifteen minutes ; leave on for a day or two, and then 

 wash ; shoe with a shoe a little higher at the heel than at the toe ; 

 it tends to take the strain off the part. You may have recourse to 

 the firing iron, but I am no great advocate of firing for curb. Caus- 

 tics are sometimes applied, which destroy the hair bulbs and pro- 

 duce a worse blemish than the curb. Irritation in the articulation 

 may call for firing. If you are called to treat a horse that is in 

 training, two or three years old, perhaps there are thousands of dol- 



