62 THE IMPROVED ART OF FARRIERY. 



the leg to ease the Ugaments, the injury of which causes 

 tlie lameness. Blisters applied to the coronet are the 

 best means of cure, which should be speedy, as the 

 use of the joint may soon be lost if the ligaments be- 

 come ossified. This lameness is often confounded by 

 ignorant persons with affections of the shoulder. When 

 the sprain and heat of the coffin-joint is but shght, fo- 

 mentation and bleeding has been sufficient. It is the 

 ossification of the ligaments of this joint that degene- 

 rates into Ringbone. 



Broken Knees 



Are always to be regarded with suspicion, and a 

 careful scrutiny of the ms ke and action of the horse is 

 requisite when any blemish appears on the knee ; not 

 but that a bad rider or a trifling accident has been 

 known to throw the most perfect horses, and conse- 

 quently some judgment is required in discerning the 

 qualities and motion of these animals. When a horse 

 has fallen, if the skin only be aflected, after washing 

 the knee carefully with warm water, some have applied 

 a bhster to promote the growth of the hair around the 

 blemish, and by contracting the wound, make the spot 

 or scar less perceptible when healed. The use of oint- 

 ments to produce hair on the scar is at once fallacious 

 and absurd, although the use of gunpowder and lard 

 is resorted to, which blackens the part, and thus par- 

 tially conceals the blemish. If, however, the joint be 

 affected, and the oily fluid flow from the wound, the 

 first care must be to stop it, for which refer to Anchy- 

 losis, page 57. If, however, the orifice is very great, 

 and the joint-oil continues to flow, the case is hopeless, 

 and the wisest plan is to destroy the animal. This it 



