252 THE HORSE 



improving the general condition of the horse and at- 

 tending carefully to his legs and feet. I have known 

 very large, unsightly windgalls to disappear, or nearly 

 so, under such treatment, and that, too, in a horse 

 more than ten years old; but the process required some 

 five years, the improvement being steady but slow. 



THOROUGHPIN 



This is a rather large, soft swelling on each side and 

 a little in front of the tendons in that part of the hock 

 known as the "hollows." It looks like, and indeed, is, 

 a kind of windgall and can be pushed through so 

 as to appear on the other side of the leg. It is 

 caused by sprain of the large tendon which passes 

 down the leg to be inserted in the pedal bone, the 

 sheath, through which it passes at this point, being 

 distended by fluid. It does not usually cause lameness; 

 but if lameness does result, the swelling should be 

 rubbed with alcohol. The horse should not be used at 

 all, and should be shod with a high-heeled shoe. If 

 lameness continues, the horse should be blistered and 

 turned out to pasture — or kept in a box stall if the 

 season is unfavorable. 



